Over 140 People Lose Homes in Fire in Roma Settlement in Spissky Stiavnik

Spissky Stiavnik, 23 July (TASR) - More than 140 people lost their homes in a fire in a Roma settlement in the village of Spissky Stiavnik in Poprad district (Presov region) on Tuesday (22 July), mayor Matus Korhel has told TASR, adding that they were mainly mothers with children and that the municipality has temporarily housed them in a local community centre. A crisis management team will meet later on Wednesday to decide what to do with the residents of the burned-out homes. "We provided mattresses, blankets, some clothes and food for them at the community centre, so that they were safe at night. Some 11 huts burned down, the fire probably spread from a stove in one of them, but we can't specify it more exactly for now," said the mayor. Firefighters were still extinguishing the fire on Wednesday morning. The police and a fire investigator were also on the scene. The fire engulfed part of the Roma settlement, which is home to some 1,800 people, at about 6 p.m. It took firefighters several hours to bring the blaze under control. The Office of the Government Proxy for Roma Communities, Poprad District Office, the local labour office and humanitarian organisations have promised to help the village. "We welcome any help, especially because we have several children aged between one and five there. The crisis management team will meet, we'll review the options that we have, and we'll decide what to do next based on that. They have temporary shelter at the community centre, and the crisis management team will decide what will be done with them next," said Korhel. ko/df