Fire destroys migrant shelters in Spanish enclave of Ceuta

A large-scale fire swept through a migrant settlement in Ceuta on Monday, destroying numerous makeshift shelters and displacing hundreds of residents. Emergency services responded to the blaze, which consumed dozens of structures in the Spanish autonomous city located on Morocco's Mediterranean coast.

Local authorities coordinated the evacuation of residents from the affected area as firefighting crews worked to contain the spread of the flames. The rapid advancement of the fire necessitated urgent action to prevent casualties among the shelter inhabitants.

Ceuta, one of Spain's two North African enclaves, hosts a substantial migrant population. The territory has long served as a transit point for individuals seeking to reach mainland Europe, resulting in overcrowded informal settlements. Shelter conditions in such encampments are frequently basic, with residents living in temporary structures vulnerable to fire hazards.

Investigations into the cause of the fire were ongoing. Authorities have not yet released preliminary findings regarding how the blaze originated or whether it spread to adjacent areas beyond the migrant settlement.