Teargas fired during migrant protests on Greek island of Lesbos

Greek riot police fired tear gas at protesting asylum seekers on Lesbos island on Saturday.

Clashes occurred on Saturday near a new temporary camp built by Greek authorities where hundreds of young men gathered to protest, some throwing stones at riot police who responded with tear gas.

Tensions have been simmering following the catastrophic fire that ripped through Europe's largest migrant camp this week. And asylum seekers have been sleeping rough on Lesbos since Wednesday when the Moria camp was destroyed in apparent arson attacks.

A fire set there earlier in the day near a police blockade had to be extinguished by the fire brigade.

"Freedom!" said one handwritten sign held up by a protester. "We want to leave Moria," said another.

Some people suffering from respiratory problems because of the tear gas were taken away in ambulances, according to the migrants.

Round-the-clock efforts to find temporary shelter for over 11,000 people made homeless by the destruction of the Moria camp were still inadequate.

The Moria camp, which had been regularly criticised by the UN and rights groups for overcrowding and its dismal sanitary conditions, burned down in successive fires on Tuesday night and Wednesday.

Officials have blamed migrants for the blazes, the first breaking out shortly after 35 people tested positive for coronavirus and were facing isolation measures.

Many of the mostly Afghan asylum seekers have spent months in desperate conditions on the island, hoping in vain to be allowed to cross tightly shut European borders. Local volunteer groups have faced difficulty in supplying asylum seekers with food and water.

(with inputs from AFP)