Hundreds of refugees missing after Dunkirk camp fire

Hundreds of refugees and migrants have gone missing after a large fire ripped through the Dunkirk camp where they were living in northern France.

Police cordoned off the largely destroyed camp in the Dunkirk suburb of Grande-Synthe on Tuesday and investigators inspected the site to try to determine the cause of the Monday night fire, which broke out following a fight between rival groups of migrants.

Officials spent trying to find new shelter for the estimated 1,500 people who had been displaced.

Some 500 were taken to three local gyms, including one set aside for children and families, but most of the other migrants remained unaccounted for, the mayor and prefect said.

It is feared that the destruction of the country’s only official migrant camp will result in asylum seekers returning to sleeping rough along the coast near the Channel ports.

During a brief visit to the site, the French interior minister, Matthias Fekl, said the government would not allow it to be rebuilt. The housing minister, Emmanuelle Cosse, said more permanent shelter would be found in centres around the country over the next few days.

Charities made an urgent appeal for donations to help people made homeless by the fire. There was particular concern about the fate of around 120 unaccompanied children, many of whom had been staying at the camp as they tried to travel to the UK to be reunited with family members.