Two African men die in a blaze in southern Italy's 'Great Ghetto' migrant camp.
The charred remains of two young African men, identified as Mamadou Konate and Nouhou Doumbia, have been found following a blaze at an unsanctioned migrant camp in southern Italy.
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The fire raged through the night between Thursday and Friday, wiping out shacks across a 5,000-square-metre area. Its cause has not been confirmed.
Italian police and firefighters were already on the scene due to an ongoing evacuation operation, but initially struggled to stem the blaze.
Camp spokesman, Ibou Traore, outlined the situation.
“They were from Mali, they were really young, I think around 33 and 36 years old. Too young… The problem is that we don’t have a place to go. Those who re-entered the camp to sleep are those who have lost their life.”
Two dead after fire breaks out at 'Big Ghetto' migrant camp in Italyhttps://t.co/Tevi4Jf77p pic.twitter.com/Z0L9AEPh9D
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Located in Foggia, in the Apulia region, the so-called Great Ghetto shanty town has been in place for two decades. Made up of plastic, wooden and cardboard huts, it houses migrants of mostly African origin, who are working in agriculture in the surrounding area.