Around 600 migrants are missing after being evacuated when a huge blaze ravaged their camp, reducing it to "a heap of ashes".

The Grande-Synthe migrant camp - home to around 1,500 people - is situated outside the northern French city of Dunkirk and was set up a year ago by Doctors Without Borders.

Corenne Torre, head of the humanitarian group in France, said while 900 people were evacuated to safe shelters including local gyms, some 600 migrants were unaccounted for.

"We just don't know where they are," she said.

Image: The camp is home to up to 1,500 people

The fire erupted hours after clashes between up to 150 Kurds and Afghans.


Riot police moved into the camp to break up the trouble. Ten people were injured, with some being treated in hospital for knife wounds.

Officials have linked the fire to the fighting and an investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the blaze - the flames of which were visible from several miles away.

Image: Firefighters worked through the night to tackle the blaze

"There is nothing left but a heap of ashes," said Michel Lalande, chief of France's Nord region.

"It will be impossible to put the huts back where they were before."

Firefighters tackled the blaze through the night as the camp's inhabitants were evacuated.

Image: Riot police were called to the site following clashes between migrants

"I lost all my documents," said one Iraqi migrant. "I just have only this paper that says I'm a refugee in France."

He said Kurds and Afghans had clashed before the fire erupted, but he did not know why.

"We are refugees here in France. We don't have any place... we don't know what to do. We lost everything," he added.

Image: Wooden shelters are reduced to ashes

Grande-Synthe's population swelled after a huge makeshift camp, 19 miles away, known as the "Calais Jungle", was dismantled by the authorities in October.

French officials decided last month that the camp population must be gradually reduced to 700 - with migrants housed in special centres - and security increased to keep out traffickers.