Some 50 migrants, mostly from Afghanistan and Pakistan, have set a refugee resettlement center in Istanbul ablaze and used the fire as an opportunity to escape, Turkish media reported.

The fire broke out on the third floor of a refugee repatriation center in Istanbul, according to Turkish media. Local fire brigades, ambulances, and police units were dispatched to the scene on short notice to deal with the situation.

Officers fired warning shots to prevent some 50 refugees from escaping, but failed. At least three people have been injured in the fire and taken to a nearby hospital for emergency care.

The refugees reportedly set fire to furniture to protest the miserable living conditions at the center, Hurriyet said. An investigation and police search are underway to locate the escapees.