Migrant centre EXPLOSIONS: Violence between locals and migrants SHUTS DOWN Italian city
EXPLOSIONS and makeshift barricades outside a massive migrant centre unleashed chaos in one of Italy's biggest cities.
Italian ex-Olympic village housing refugees ATTACKED
Violence erupted outside a former Olympic village accommodation where 1,300 migrants are being housed in Italy.
Long-standing tensions between local residents and migrants broke out on Wednesday night when two explosions were set off just outside the migrant centre in Turin.
The powerful explosions were strong enough to shake windows of nearby houses, according to local residents.
In the morning, a group of around 300 migrants blocked the main road outside of the housing block.
They also smashed road signs and parked cars while other shouted at the Italian locals.
Footage from nearby witnesses last night captured the migrants hurling stones and bottles at riot police.
Residents also locked themselves in shops to avoid being hit by missiles.
According to locals, migrants told passerbys they were "Italian racists" as traffic was brought to a standstill outside the accommodation.
Until yesterday we were just fed up with this lawlessness. Now we really fear
No one was injured in the blasts, which were thought to be homemade letter bombs, according to La Stampa.
The Turin city council said it was "concerned" about the violence.
One official said they hoped police would identify those responsible as soon as possible.
Around 1,300 migrants live in the buildings originally built for athletes when the city hosted the 2006 Winter Olympic Games.
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Police said a disturbance outside a betting shop following Wednesday's Champions League between Dynamo Kiev and Napoli sparked the chaos.
Football fans became involved in a brawl which then spilled over into a fight between locals and migrants.
Firefighters were also called to the scene.
One witness told La Stampa: "We were already in bed when there was an explosion outside these buildings. They shook the shutters and the windows.
"Then a group of people ran out screaming. We were afraid, not for us adults, but for our children."
Another local resident said: "Until yesterday we were just fed up with this situation of lawlessness. Now we really fear."
The city council will discuss strengthening law enforcement outside the former Olympic village accommodation on Friday.
