Latest news with #CyprusNewsAgency
Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Cyprus fires: Woman shares 'very difficult' remains of home completely destroyed by fire
Horrifying footage of the burnt-out wreckage of a house in Cyprus sheds light on the terrible toll of a blaze which has ripped across the beautiful island nation, destroying homes and resulting in tragedy After a wildfire wreaked destruction across Cyprus, a local woman has shed light on the devastating impact the catastrophe has had on those who continue to suffer through it. Yesterday, occupants of a dozen hillside villages on the southern flank of the island's Troodos mountain range were forced to flee, as scenes of chaos unfolded. Images show ferocious wildfire ripping through 100 square kilometres (38.6 square miles) of forested hillsides, decimating a number of homes as it scorched everything in its path. Tragically, it's understood that one elderly couple was burned to death in their car as they desperately tried to escape the flames. One of the hardest hit areas is the picturesque village community of Souni-Zanakia in the Limassol District, a place loved for its quaint charm, romantic ocean views, and peaceful nature trails. Today, the area looks barely recognisable. Luxurious villas have been reduced to charred ruins, while the once soothing green trees that lined the narrow streets are left blackened and stripped of leaves. The air, usually filled with fresh sea breezes, is choked with smoke, as locals survey the grim remains of their once idyllic homes. Cyprus fires horror as two burned alive trying to flee in car and villas reduced to ash Cyprus travel warnings for Brits as deadly wildfire rips through the island One video shared via TikTok illuminates the reality of walking through the streets of Souni after the blaze. The sad clip, uploaded by TikTok user @anjanaa611, shows the burnt-out wreck of what would have once been a large and handsome-looking house, complete with a spacious balcony and a neat hedge. Although the stone walls are still standing, the smoke damage is extensive, while the window frames lie empty and open to the elements. Where the ceiling once was, there is now only blue sky. In the caption of her post, the content creator reflected that the situation could have been worse, writing: "Very difficult situation for us hope everything will fine thank god all people are safe." Many of those in the comments section offered their best wishes, urging her to "stay safe". One person sympathised: "Firstly, they lost their houses after the war, now fire." Another said: "So sad, may god be with you all." Cyprus's temperatures are forecast to hit a worrying 45C this weekend. After three consecutive dry winters, the island nation has been on high alert for fires this summer. Cyprus' Justice Minister Marios Hartsiotis previously told state-run Cyprus News Agency that over 100 individuals evacuated from the communities ravaged by flames are now being accommodated in temporary shelters. A total of 14 villages across a 14-kilometre stretch of mountainous landscape had to be evacuated.
7 days ago
- Climate
Massive wildfire destroys homes in Cyprus and 2 bodies found in burned-out car
NICOSIA, Cyprus -- Police in Cyprus found two bodies inside a burned-out car Thursday after a massive wildfire scorched 100 square kilometers (38.6 square miles) of forested hillsides, destroyed numerous homes and forced the evacuation of a dozen villages on the southern side of the island nation's Troodos mountain range. Police initially reported late Wednesday that Civil Defense personnel found the charred body of a single individual inside the vehicle on a main road connecting fire-hit hillside villages. But a second body was discovered early Thursday morning and police said identification efforts are ongoing. Photos posted on social media purported to show the victims' gutted vehicle on the shoulder of the main Monagri-Alassa road. Fire Service Spokesman Andreas Kettis told state-run Cyprus News Agency there are currently no active fronts but fire crews were still battling numerous flare-ups, and winds are expected to pick up later in the day. Up to 14 aircraft are resuming water drops over hard-to-reach areas. Cyprus' Justice Minister Marios Hartsiotis told the state broadcaster that more than 100 people who were evacuated from fire-hit communities are being hosted in temporary shelters. The fire forced the evacuation of 14 villages along a 14-kilometer (8.7-mile) stretch of mountainous terrain. Media reports showed gutted homes smoldering as flames swept through the outskirts of some villages. In the village of Lofou, at least 20 homes were destroyed as fires threated a group of stranded evacuees whose police buses had to turn back as the fire front shifted to block their exit. Images broadcast on media late Wednesday showed flames consuming trees, brush and other vegetation along a huge front burning bright orange against the backdrop of a nighttime sky. Police continued to block road access to the fire-afflicted communities as area residents vented against what they called a disorganized response to the huge fire. Government spokesman Constantinos Letymbiotis said Spain would be sending two fire-fighting aircraft Thursday morning to assist local crews. Jordan is helping with two of its own helicopters, which had been deployed in Cyprus for firefighting. An RAF Chinook helicopter that operates from one of two British Bases on Cyprus is also assisting. Limassol Municipality and the local soccer club Apollonas offered apartments and a basketball court respectively to temporarily house evacuees.
Indian Express
7 days ago
- Climate
- Indian Express
Massive wildfire destroys homes in Cyprus, 2 bodies found in burned-out car
Police in Cyprus found two bodies inside a burned-out car Thursday after a massive wildfire scorched 100 square kilometres of forested hillsides, destroyed numerous homes and forced the evacuation of a dozen villages on the southern side of the island nation's Troodos mountain range. Police initially reported late Wednesday that Civil Defence personnel found the charred body of a single individual inside the vehicle on a main road connecting fire-hit hillside villages. But a second body was discovered early Thursday morning, and police said identification efforts are ongoing. Photos posted on social media purported to show the victims' gutted vehicle on the shoulder of the main Monagri-Alassa road. Fire Service Spokesman Andreas Kettis told state-run Cyprus News Agency there are currently no active fronts, but fire crews were still battling numerous flare-ups, and winds are expected to pick up later in the day. Up to 14 aircraft are resuming water drops over hard-to-reach areas. Cyprus' Justice Minister Marios Hartsiotis told the state broadcaster that more than 100 people who were evacuated from fire-hit communities are being hosted in temporary shelters. The fire forced the evacuation of 14 villages along a 14-kilometre stretch of mountainous terrain. Media reports showed gutted homes smouldering as flames swept through the outskirts of some villages. In the village of Lofou, at least 20 homes were destroyed as fires threatened a group of stranded evacuees whose police buses had to turn back as the fire front shifted to block their exit. Images broadcast on media late Wednesday showed flames consuming trees, brush and other vegetation along a huge front burning bright orange against the backdrop of a nighttime sky. Police continued to block road access to the fire-afflicted communities as area residents vented against what they called a disorganised response to the huge fire. Government spokesman Constantinos Letymbiotis said Spain would be sending two firefighting aircraft Thursday morning to assist local crews. Jordan is helping with two of its own helicopters, which had been deployed in Cyprus for firefighting. An RAF Chinook helicopter that operates from one of two British Bases on Cyprus is also assisting. Limassol Municipality and the local soccer club Apollonas offered apartments and a basketball court, respectively, to temporarily house evacuees. Cyprus has been on high alert for fires this summer after three consecutive arid winters.
Arab Times
7 days ago
- Climate
- Arab Times
2 dead, dozens evacuated as wildfire rages in Cyprus' Limassol region
NICOSIA, July 24, (Xinhua): Two people have been confirmed dead and dozens evacuated as a massive wildfire continued to burn out of control in the mountainous areas of Limassol District in southern Cyprus, authorities said Thursday. According to local media reports and statements from emergency officials, the bodies of two individuals were discovered inside a burnt-out vehicle between the villages of Monagri and Alassa late Wednesday night. Identification efforts are currently underway. The wildfire, which erupted Wednesday afternoon near the village of Malia, has since spread rapidly due to strong winds and extreme heat, affecting at least 10 communities. As of Thursday morning, a total of 106 residents had been relocated to temporary accommodation amid efforts to house them in hotel units, Justice Minister Marios Hartsiotis told state broadcaster CyBC. Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency, Fire Service Spokesperson Andreas Kettis said that more than 250 firefighters and 75 fire engines had been deployed to combat the blaze, supported by 10 firefighting aircraft, with three additional aircraft to join later. He added that the fire had scorched approximately 100 square km of land. State Health Services Organization Spokesperson Charalambos Charilaou told local daily Phileleftheros that 16 individuals were hospitalized at Limassol General Hospital, including two with burn injuries. A temporary first-aid center has also been established in the village of Erimi to assist those experiencing respiratory problems. Electricity supply has also been severely disrupted. Electricity Authority of Cyprus Spokeswoman Christina Papadopoulou said up to 15 percent of the national grid may have been damaged, including a substation that was completely destroyed. As of Thursday morning, 15 villages remained without power, including parts of the Limassol suburb of Ypsonas. Authorities said an investigation into the origin of the fire is ongoing. The Cypriot government has activated European civil protection mechanisms, and neighboring countries such as Jordan have reportedly offered assistance. Enditem
Daily Mirror
7 days ago
- Climate
- Daily Mirror
Two found dead in burned car as horror fires ravage Brit holiday hotspot
Police in Cyprus found two bodies inside a burned-out car Thursday after a massive wildfire scorched 37 square miles of forested hillsides, destroyed numerous homes and forced an evacuation in the island's Troodos mountain range Police discovered two bodies in a charred car on Thursday following a colossal wildfire in Cyprus that ravaged 100 square kilometres (38.6 square miles) of forested hillsides, obliterated several homes and led to the evacuation of a dozen villages on the southern flank of the island's Troodos mountain range. Late on Wednesday, police initially reported that Civil Defense personnel had found the burnt remains of one person inside the vehicle on a main road linking the fire-stricken hillside villages. However, a second body was unearthed early on Thursday morning, with police stating that identification efforts are underway. Images shared on social media appeared to show the victims' incinerated vehicle parked on the side of the main Monagri-Alassa road. Fire Service Spokesman Andreas Kettis informed the state-run Cyprus News Agency that while there are currently no active fronts, fire crews continue to tackle numerous flare-ups, and winds are forecast to strengthen later in the day. Up to 14 aircraft are set to resume water drops over areas difficult to access. Cyprus' Justice Minister Marios Hartsiotis told the state broadcaster that over 100 individuals evacuated from the fire-affected communities are being accommodated in temporary shelters. The blaze necessitated the evacuation of 14 villages spanning a 14-kilometre stretch of mountainous landscape. Media footage revealed charred homes smouldering as the fire engulfed the outskirts of several villages. In Lofou, no less than 20 houses were razed as the flames threatened a group of evacuees who were stranded when their police buses had to retreat due to the shifting fire front. Late Wednesday broadcasts showed images of the inferno devouring trees, shrubs and other vegetation along an extensive front, casting a bright orange glow against the night sky. Police maintained roadblocks to the fire-stricken communities while local residents expressed their frustration at what they perceived as a disorganised response to the massive fire. Government spokesperson Constantinos Letymbiotis announced that Spain would be dispatching two firefighting aircraft on Thursday morning to aid local teams. Jordan is contributing with two helicopters, already stationed in Cyprus for firefighting purposes. An RAF Chinook helicopter, operating from one of the two British Bases on Cyprus, is also lending a hand. Limassol Municipality and local football club Apollonas have offered apartments and a basketball court respectively to temporarily accommodate evacuees. Cyprus has been on high alert for fires this summer following three consecutive dry winters.
