Huge fire engulfs migrant camp in Morocco, residents claim blaze was started intentionally (VIDEO)

19 Dec, 2018 16:19 / Updated 6 years ago

A massive fire ripped through a migrant camp near Casablanca, Morocco, ravaging tents and destroying what few belongings the residents had.

The fire broke out near the town of Ouled Ziana Tuesday and was reportedly caused by a gas explosion just six months after a similar fire at the site. There were no reported injuries or fatalities from Tuesday’s incident.

Residents in the camp alleged the fire was started intentionally by a “Moroccan, just like the last two times” according to a report by Yabiladi.

Meanwhile, the manager of the local bus station alleges that many migrants take drugs and may have, accidentally or otherwise, started the fire because of the amount of equipment lying around the camp, including “small gas cylinders” for cooking.

Morocco, along with Libya, is still one of the primary exit points for migrants fleeing sub-Saharan Africa en route to Europe.

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Earlier this month, Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita rejected EU plans to construct asylum centers along the North African coast.

Existing migrant camps are notorious for poor living conditions, a lack of basic food and water as well as exposure to the elements.

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