Filenews 9 July 2022 - by Dora Christodoulou
What many have warned about from time to time, about the inadequacy of old buildings and the irresponsible behaviour of citizens who put dozens of foreigners in them without any maintenance, became a reality in Paphos yesterday at dawn. Three balconies of an old building collapsed like playing cards, dragging into the void three people who were on one of them and who are being treated in a very serious condition at Paphos Hospital.
The unprecedented accident took place just before three o'clock in the morning at the most central point of the Paphos shopping centre, essentially on Kennedy Square. Three young workers from Nepal and now in Paphos, two men and a woman, 27, 28 and 29 years old respectively, due to the heat, apparently, lay down to sleep on the balcony of their apartment, which is located on the third floor of this apartment building.
At some point during the night the balcony collapsed under the weight of the three people, dragging them into the void. The three young workers fell to the ground and were very seriously injured. In the seriousness of the incident, the authorities stressed yesterday that fortunately the worst was avoided, since the collapsed balcony swept away like a domino effect the two balconies below it, of the second and first floors, which were also literally dismantled and fell to the ground as an amorphous mass of aggregates, with irons remaining on the walls of the three floors showing that there were once balconies there.
The rubble from the building fell on a parked car, resulting in extensive damage. The vehicle belongs to a foreign woman from a European state who lives in an adjacent building. She was surprised to see her vehicle yesterday morning under tons of debris, since she had not realized as she told "F" the dimensions of the accident the night before in order to leave her residence.
The three workers from the Asian country were transported by ambulance to Paphos Hospital where they were being treated in a very serious condition. One of them is even in the ICU, since the fractures and other injuries he suffered are much more serious than those of his two compatriots.
Speaking yesterday about the issue, the mayor of Paphos "flashed and thundered" against owners of old and unsuitable buildings and against state departments for the situation that prevails. There are 30-40 buildings in the city, Phaedon Phaedonos complained, which while they are unsuitable for people to live, the avarice of the owners contributes to the stacking of foreign workers, political refugees or illegal aliens by the dozens in caged apartments.
"Unfortunately I have to say that the relevant state departments are not cooperating at all to put an end to this situation," he said. "That is why the municipality will proceed on its own for eviction decrees from unsuitable premises and let them assume their responsibilities as a serious state."
