Dozens injured at fight at Calais 'Jungle' camp

Prosecutors have opened an investigation into a large fight at a refugee camp in northern France, authorities said on Friday.

The brawl broke out at the Calais "Jungle" camp on Thursday involving 200 to 300 refugees from Afghanistan and Sudan.

A total of 40 people were injured, including 33 migrants, two police officers and five aid workers.

Three people sustained serious injuries, including one person who was stabbed, said local official Fabienne Buccio. One of those seriously injured was a young, female aid worker from La Vie Active, which runs the Jules-Ferry aid center.

The fight broke out as food was being distributed at the heart of the camp, but the exact cause has yet to be determined.

Over 200 police officers were sent to the camp along with 70 firefighters and 11 ambulances.

Between 4,000 and 5,000 people live at the northern camp in makeshift dwellings in hopes of crossing the English Channel to Great Britain.

The Interior Ministry has encouraged migrants to seek asylum in France and relocate to other areas of France with better accommodations. However, the number of people in the camp has grown in recent weeks.

In February, French authorities used tear gas to disperse migrants while police dismantled part of the camp in an attempt to clear out some of the migrants.

rs/sms (AFP, dpa)