A migrant hideout has been discovered inside a network of abandoned underground military tunnels after firefighters were alerted to smoke coming from the site.
The eerie galleries connect the Sarchal beach area of Ceuta, Spain, with the University of Granada’s Ceuta campus.
When firefighters entered, they found the entrance had been breached and the tunnels littered with signs that they had been used as a shelter.
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Mattresses, blankets, cooking pots, food remains, bottles and other belongings were scattered through the galleries, while some mattresses had been burnt.
Inflatable rafts and even a surfboard were also found amid the rubbish, as reported by Need To Know.
Bomberos Ceuta said the items showed that “several people were using this space to sleep and stay there”.
But the occupants had already fled before firefighters arrived.
The tunnels had been sealed off for years and were once part of a military barracks.
Local reports said dozens of migrants may have been staying in the tunnels for almost two months.
One report quoted firefighters as saying: “They broke through a partition because the wall was sealed and entered where they put their mattresses and other belongings.”
The discovery came after weeks of rumours among locals that migrants were using the tunnels.
Residents had reportedly noticed increasing numbers of people at nearby Trampolín beach, with some saying many of them “were new”.
However, police have denied there is evidence that the tunnels provide an underground route into Ceuta from Morocco.
The fire brigade said it did not know who had been using the site or what circumstances had led them to occupy such a dangerous place.
Bomberos Ceuta said: “We consider it unacceptable that, after two months, situations of this kind are still occurring in hidden and particularly dangerous spaces.”
The fire brigade added: “We will continue working to detect these situations and prevent dangerous and unauthorised spaces from creating insecurity.”
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