Civil Defence Report: No Mention of Deceased Couple and Lack of Early Warning

The Civil Defence report on the recent fire in Limassol makes no mention of the couple who lost their lives in Sylikou while trying to escape their holiday home. The report only refers to the evacuation instructions given at 8 pm on Wednesday, July 23rd, for Sylikou, without mentioning the failure of the public early warning system.

The report by the head of Civil Defence, Ms. Maria Papa, to the Minister of Interior, states that during the evacuation, preference is given to moving to neighboring communities by private vehicles or with the help of the Civil Defence and other state services.

It also states that residents are notified by text messages, door-to-door information, ringing the bell, or in any other way deemed appropriate by the Community Council and the Civil Defence.

The report also reveals that Cyprus rejected the possibility of hosting ground forces from the EU due to complex procedures, considering that it "did not add additional value to Cyprus."

Furthermore, it highlights the lack of a legislative framework for campsites and the inadequate preparation of organizers for evacuation in case of need.

The report states that the Civil Defence mobilized immediately and cooperated closely with all competent services, despite the limited number of personnel and volunteers, highlighting the service's understaffing.