Tensions high at Samos migrant reception center after fire

A state of emergency was declared on the eastern Aegean island of Samos on Tuesday after a fire at its overcrowded refugee reception center on Monday night forced hundreds of migrants into the streets following interethnic clashes that left three Syrian men injured.

The fire at the Vathy facility - which was designed to hold 700 people but is hosting around 6,000 - broke out at around 10.30 p.m. on Monday. It appears that the fire was set by protesters after a brawl earlier in the evening between Afghan and Syrian men in which three Syrians sustained knife injuries. Four people were arrested in connection with the violence while an investigation was under way to determine how the fire broke out.

The blaze destroyed 31 tents but caused no serious injuries. It also prompted hundreds of migrants to leave the facility - with around 400 seeking shelter at a hotel,...

Continue reading on: