NICOSIA, July 6 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Cyprus Forestry Department said that a deadly fire, the island’s worst in decades, was now “under full control”.
The blaze, fanned by strong winds, broke out Saturday afternoon and swept through the southern foothills of the Troodos mountain range, leaving four Egyptian labourers dead, before being reined in by water bombing by Greek and
Israeli aircraft.
“The fire that broke out on Saturday… came under full control today Monday, July 5, 2021 at 08:00 am (0500 GMT),” the department said in a statement.
It added that firefighters were still deployed en masse around the village of Arakapas to tackle any potential further outbreaks.
The fire, described as the worst since the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus in 1960, destroyed 50 homes, damaged power lines and forced the evacuation of 10 villages.
It burned an area of about 55 square kilometres covered with forest vegetation and crops.
Four Egyptian labourers died trying to escape the village of Odos.
A 67-year-old farmer was arrested and remanded in custody on suspicion of causing the blaze, a charge he denied.
Police said an eyewitness had seen him leaving Arakapas in his car at the same time the fire started there. He could face charges of recklessly causing four deaths.
More than 600 people from the emergency services and the army were involved in tackling the blaze, with a dozen aircraft and 70 fire trucks as well as a reconnaissance drone, the Forestry Department said.
Aircraft from Israel, Greece and the British bases on Cyprus were also deployed to help. — NNN-AGENCIES
