Fire leaves trail of devastation in Cyprus as four people dead after wildfire rips through village
‘Most destructive’ infernos in island’s history leave trail of devastation in Cyprus and kill four after ripping through forest mountain village – as Greece, Italy and Israel help rescue efforts
- Volunteers found the remains just outside the village of Odou on the southern edge of the Troodos mountain
- The blaze, which has scorched more than 50sq km of forest began on Saturday afternoon amid a heat wave
- At least eight mountain villages have been evacuated as authorities call for help from EU and other countries
- A 67-year-old man is being held by police to assist the investigation and could be facing arson charges
The ‘most destructive’ blaze in Cyprus’s history has left a trail of devastation on the island as four charred bodies were discovered outside a fire-swept mountain village.
Civil Defence volunteers found the remains just outside the village of Odou on the southern edge of the Troodos mountain following the blaze which has largely been put out.
The blaze, which began on Saturday afternoon outside the village of Arakapas, spread quickly amid strong winds and forced the evacuation of at least eight mountain villages, destroying homes and scorching 21 square miles of pine forest and orchards.
The fire has left a scene of devastation, with houses left charred and workshops covered in rubble and ashes. Farmers on Ora village have been forced to dispose of around 80,000 chickens that died from heat and smoke inhalation.
‘We are experiencing the most destructive fire since the founding of the Cyprus republic in both material damage, but also unfortunately in terms of human lives,’ Interior minister Nicos Nouris said, adding that 50 homes were damaged so far.
It comes as fire-fighting planes have been sent from European countries including Greece and Italy as well as Israel.
Firefighters have been working to put out the blaze on the slopes of the Throodos mountain chain
Crews have been working throughout the night to put out the blaze, which began on Saturday afternoon
A view of completely burned forest and small fire in a mountain area in Larnaca region Cyprus on July 4
The fire has wreaked devastation on Cyprus – and pictured is a destroyed house near Ora village on the Southern slopes of the Troodos mountains on July 4
Farmers dispose of around 80,000 chickens that died from heat and smoke inhalation near Ora village
Machinery is covered with ashes and rubble at a workshop in the Cypriot Agioi Vavatsinias village after a raging fire swept the area
A picture taken on July 4, 2021 shows the carcasses of chickens that died from heat and smoke inhalation near Ora village
Authorities believe the bodies, which were discovered near a burnt out car, belong to four Egyptian labourers aged 22 to 29 who had gone missing on Saturday evening.
‘All the indications support the fact that these are the four missing persons we have been searching for since yesterday,’ Mr Nouris said.
He added that he has informed the Egyptian ambassador to Cyprus and arrangements will be made to repatriate the remains.
Odou community chief Menelaos Philippou told state-run Cyprus News agency the four men who worked at a greenhouse that grew tomatoes tried to flee the fire along a mountain road, but their small truck veered off the road and fell down an embankment. They then try to flee on foot but did not make it.
President Nicos Anastasiades called the fire ‘an unprecedented tragedy’ except for the destruction wreaked by a 1974 war that split the island along ethnic lines after Turkey invaded in response to a coup aimed at union with Greece.
Residents who saw their homes go up in flames vented anger at what they called authorities’ slow response.
A Spanish Air Tractor firefighting planne dumps water on the southern slopes of the Troodos mountains close to Agioi Vavatsinias village as a major fire continues to burn on Cyprus on July 4
Mr Anastasiades, who toured the fire-hit villages, pledged immediate government help to farmers and homeowners who lost crops and property and the families of those who died.
Police said a 67-year-old man faces arson charges. A court ordered that he remain in custody for eight days to assist the investigation into the cause of the fire.
Mr Nouris said firefighting aircraft and ground crews are focusing on two massive fire fronts between the villages of Odou and Vavatsinia.
Mr Anastasiades said the blaze is ‘partially contained’ but the flames could intensify again if strong winds resume.
Mr Nouris said 36 people who were evacuated have been taken to hotels in the capital Nicosia, while food and water was being supplied to residents of the village of Melini.
The blaze forced the Cypriot government to request firefighting aircraft from fellow European Union nations and Israel.
The country’s entire fire department has been mobilised, with off-duty staff being called back into service, but the Cypriot government has still been forced to request firefighting aircraft from other European Union member countries and Israel.
So far, 70 fire engines, seven bulldozers and 10 water tankers have been called to the scene. Images also show many volunteers stepping forward to help.
A pair of helicopters from British military bases in Cyprus have also helped firefighting efforts.
Two Greek Canadair CL-415 aircraft arrived in Cyprus to battle the blaze, along with two Israeli fixed-wing planes.
The huge blaze has left four people dead, destroyed homes and forced the evacuations of nearby villages in the area
People in the village of Vavatsina in the Larnaca district of Cyrus, watch as a giant wildfire rages on
Smoke from the forest fire billowed far and wide. This picture captures the smoke travelling over Ora Village, Larnaca
The country’s entire fire department has been mobilised, with off-duty staff being called back into service to help
The fire has spread to the slopes of the Throodos mountain chain, leading to the evacuation of at least eight villages nearby
So far, 70 fire engines, seven bulldozers and 10 water tankers have been called to the scene
Residents of the villages impacted by the blaze could do little but look on as fire crews tried to quell the flames
Crews are focusing their efforts on two fire fronts between the villages of Odou and Vavatsinia in a race to prevent it from spreading to the Machairaa National Forest Park
Authorities have said that they are also waiting on confirmation regarding the arrival of two Italian aircraft.
They will join the Greek team, and also Spanish and British crews.
The British Royal Air Force, which has a base at Akrotiri near Limassol, shared images online of its helicopters taking part in the efforts to stop the blaze.
Crews are focusing their efforts on two fire fronts between the villages of Odou and Vavatsinia in a race to prevent it from spreading to the Machairaa National Forest Park.
“It is the worst forest fire in the history of Cyprus,” Director of the Department of Forests Charalambos Alexandrou told local television.
President Anastasiades, who called the fire ‘an unprecedented tragedy’, is currently touring the fire-hit villages, and confirmed that the blaze is ‘partially contained.’
A charred excavator pictured in the village of Ora in the Larnaca district of Cyprus as the huge fire carries on
Despite the efforts of fire crews, there are fears that the flames could intensify once again if strong winds reappear
The fire blazed through homes in the village of Ora in the Larnaca district. Elsewhere, the fire rages on.
The British Royal Air Force, which has a base at Akrotiri near Limassol, shared images online of its helicopters taking part in the efforts to stop the blaze.
But, there are fears that the flames could intensify once again if strong winds reappear.
Taking to Twitter, he described the blaze as ‘the largest fire since 1974’ when the island was divided after Turkey occupied its northern third.
He said that ‘the government will provide immediate assistance to the victims and the families of the victims.
‘We will not leave anyone abandoned in the destruction of the fire.’
Police have said that a 67-year-old man faces arson charges.
He is currently in custody and will remain there for eight days to assist the investigation into the cause of the fire.
Flames have completely destroyed the forests on the slopes of the Throodos mountain chain
The country has recently been experiencing a heat wave, and has received no rainfall in recent days
The fire has ripped through the forest and orchards and at least eight villages in the area
A Canadair flies over the forest fire in the Larnaca mountain region, releasing water to help to put out the flames
The remains of the fire show burned out trees and ash on the ground of what was once a beautiful forest
A burnt out house is completely destroyed by the fire in a village on the southern slopes of the Troodos mountains
Police said he was spotted by an eyewitness leaving the village of Arakapas in his car at the same time the fire there started.
The country has been experiencing temperatures of around 40 degrees Celsius in recent days, and has had very little rain.
Cyprus has had extended heatwaves and period of drought in recent years.
Experts claim climate change is expected to increase the likelihood and frequency of extreme weather events, including heatwaves, extreme rainstorms, and could contribute to water shortages and drought, economic losses and lower crop yields, and higher sea levels and the destruction of coral reefs.
A report published by the World Meteorological Organisation earlier this year warned that global temperatures could rise above the 1.5C (2.7F) limit set by the UN in just five years.
This aerial image shows the extent of the fire on this property, which has left it completely decimated
A burnt of car was photographed outside a property on Sunday after the flames had spread elsewhere
A house in the village Agioi Vavatsinias on the southern slopes of the Troodos mountains has been reduced to rubble
A burnt out house shows the extent of the fire ravaging the mountains, which can be seen in the empty window panes
There is a 40 per cent chance that annual temperature rises will go beyond the level set by the 2015 Paris Agreement, agreed to by 196 countries, it is claimed.
The report published also warned of a very high likelihood – a 90 per cent chance – of at least one year between 2021 and 2025 becoming the warmest on record, outstripping 2016’s record heat.
Global average temperatures of 1.5C (2.7F) above 19th century levels are seen as a threshold beyond which the most dangerous impacts of climate change will be felt.
In 2020, the global average temperature was 1.2C (2.16F) above pre-industrial levels, making it among the three hottest years on record.
A a British Royal Air Force Griffin HAR2 Bell helicopter drops water on the southern slopes of the Troodos mountains close to Agioi Vavatsinias village
Pictured a pair of burnt bicycles near Ora village close to Agioi Vavatsinias village
