Filenews 25 July 2025 - by Michalis Hatzivasilis
The Police began taking testimonies from persons who saw the "O" point of the deadly fire, which seems to have broken out from the community of Malia in mountainous Limassol, in order to clarify whether it is arson or due to the operation of a garbage dump.
Yesterday, the Chief Fire Officer of the Fire Service, Nikos Longinos, spoke clearly about arson, since, as he said, eyewitnesses who called the Fire Service, saw the fire starting from two points, at a distance of 100 meters from each other and specifically under a bridge where there is a garbage dump. He spoke of "clear arson" and the details of the residents who transmitted the information were given to the Chief of Police and the TAE in order to locate the witnesses, while he mentioned that a fire had broken out again at the same place a few days ago.
Mr. Longinos said that he has already given evidence to the Police to investigate the case, while he indicated that six minutes after the call received by his service, a fully staffed fire truck was found at the scene of the fire, rejecting the allegations of delay and negligence.
After this development, the Police began investigations and were assigned to the Limassol TAE to conduct investigations and examine the information transmitted by the head of the Fire Brigade. Information from "F" states that the citizen who saw the outbreak of the fire has already been identified, gave testimony and testimonies are also being taken from residents of the area, firefighters who received the first call and others. What needs to be clarified and will demonstrate whether the deadly fire that burns houses, premises and "eats" kilometers of wild vegetation is indeed due to arson, is the following:
If the eyewitness, along with the two fires he saw in the garbage dump, saw a person or vehicle at the scene or moving away. For the time being, this does not seem to be confirmed, however, in statements yesterday the spokesperson of the Police, Koula Lambrianidou, said that the Police are dutifully investigating both the causes of the fire and the circumstances under which two of our fellow human beings lost their lives. Mrs. Lambrianidou said that all possibilities of arson are being investigated, not excluded. As it was duly reported to us, in garbage dumps with such high temperatures, it is easy to break out a fire and this has happened many times in the past, without the intervention of a human hand, i.e. the fire is set maliciously. There are also people who set fires to burn the garbage dumps, resulting in it escaping and breaking out a fire. Every year, the Fire Brigade is called in dozens of cases to extinguish fires that started from a garbage dump. What is certain is that once again the human factor, maliciously or not, is responsible for the most devastating fire in the country. What will be done is to examine whether there are cameras in the area to see who moved at the critical time. Investigations are underway and the Police, in an attempt to locate evidence, yesterday asked the public for their help and if anyone knows anything to contact them.
At the same time, the Police are waiting for the identification of the two bodies through DNA tests before announcing anything. The investigations are again being carried out by the Limassol TAE, which knows the identity of the victims, but nothing will be announced until there is a scientific identification of them. The mayor of Sylikos has already confirmed that they are two residents of the village. A man and a woman had been given as missing, both elderly people who have a cottage in the village and apparently in their attempt to move away they did not succeed since their vehicle was engulfed in flames in Alassa. In the event that it is found that the fire is due to arson, then the Police will investigate a case of double homicide.
It is also being examined whether the specific road they were crossing should have been closed and if so, why it was not closed. There is also an issue of informing some people, either of advanced age or with diseases that cannot be informed through announcements on social networks, which is why it is an issue that should be examined by civil protection.
The Parliament is informed
Meanwhile, on August 5, the Parliament will examine in an extraordinary session the issues arising from the huge deadly fire that destroyed large areas in mountainous Limassol and left two people dead.
In a post on his account on X, the chairman of the Parliament's Interior Committee, Aristos Damianou, mentions that on August 5, the Committees on the Interior, Agriculture and Environment will meet to be informed about the manipulations.
He wrote that it is "a time of support and solidarity. Our homeland is a place of death, with unfortunately victims. Good luck to those who fought the battle.''
