Greece pledges to improve conditions in migrant camps after 2 deaths

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras pledged Friday to improve the living conditions in migrant camps after a fire killed two migrants on Lesvos island.

"I'm shocked by the tragic event in Moria," he said in a statement. "The Greek government will further intensify efforts for safety and a better quality of life in reception centers."

The fire broke out at 10:20 p.m. local time Thursday (2020 GMT) after a gas canister used for cooking exploded in a tent there. A 60-year-old Kurdish woman from Iraq and her five-year-old grandchild were killed, police said.

Her 24-year-old daughter-in-law and her second grandchild suffered extensive burns and were transferred to an Athens hospital. Another six refugees were lightly injured, police said.

The tragic incident triggered clashes between refugees protesting poor living conditions and the police during an evacuation operation.

By dawn order had been restored. Hundreds of people spent the night out in the open.

Moria and other migrant camps on the Greek islands have over recent months seen migrant protests over poor living conditions and deportations to Turkey.

Thousands of migrants and refugees are stranded in Greece after the closure of northern borders to Central Europe last winter.

Under a deal reached in March between the European Union and Turkey, migrants and refugees arriving after March 20 will be returned to Turkey if their asylum applications are rejected.

However, the assessment process can last as long as several months.

Greece's official data show about 6,300 people are living on Lesvos, an island close to the western coast of Turkey. However, the facilities there have a capacity of 3,500 people.

The situation is similar on nearby Aegean islands. Endi