LONDON: Fire raged in the refugee transit camp in Calais, dubbed 'The Jungle' this morning, as volunteers at the Kitchen in Calais, run by a Malaysian husband and wife team - Jamalulail Ismail and Sofinee Harun - were packing to leave.
According to volunteer Mohd Fakhri Suhaimi, who had been helping in the kitchen before the closure, as announced by the French government, several explosions occurred around 11am French time.
“At that time, Jamal and Sofinee had gone to the railway station to send off two other volunteers who were leaving for Paris,” said Fakhri.
When the fire started raging, Jamal, Sofinee, their son Saif, Fakhri and two other Malaysian volunteers, students from Poland, Fatin Nasuha and Rifhan Aliah, left the camp while Jamal went back to rescue some personal documents.
At press time, it is understood that everyone is safe and the French fire brigade managed to subdue the raging fire.
Fakhri said it is believed that the fire was started by members of fascist groups. Earlier, some refugees said that they planned to stay on despite the announcement of the evacuation.
A Facebook Live video uploaded by Jamal showed the fire surrounding the Kitchen in Calais, where the husband and wife team, aided by volunteers, mostly from Malaysia, had been serving hot food to thousands of refugees from war-torn countries such as Syria, Sudan, Iraq, Afghanistan and Eritrea, since September last year.
Jamal was heard in the video saying "Ya Allah, Ya Allah" as he watched helplessly.
They were given until today to pack up their belonging and food supplies since evacuation of the refugees started two days ago. Busloads of refugees were relocated all over Europe. Many, especially unaccompanied children, were brought to the UK.
A posting on Sofinee’s Facebook read: “Jungle is burning. We are in separate location. Seif and volunteer in buffer zone. Dear husband in kitchen and me next to the school with vehicle.”
She said she and her husband had just taken two volunteers to the train station when the fire started.
“Please make special doa for us,” she said.