The demolition of the dilapidated house, part of the wall and roof of which collapsed last Monday, has been completed, said Angelos Hadjicharalambous, President of the Larnaca District Self-Government Organization.
He added that "on Thursday, the demolition of the specific house began, in which three women lived, who fortunately managed to get out on time, without having any tragic situations. The demolition was completed yesterday, Friday," he said and noted that "next week, the house in the Sotiros area, whose roof collapsed last week, will be demolished."
He also said that the house next to her will be demolished, which was neither in the file received by the EOA from the Municipality of Larnaca, nor in the visual inspection recently carried out by private designers and officials of the Organization in potentially dangerous buildings. "Based on this visual inspection, the relevant file was updated, with the potentially dangerous buildings amounting to 25," he added.
At the same time, said Mr. Hadjicharalambous, "we are proceeding intensively with all the means at our disposal in our effort to ensure the danger of the buildings and to remove them where and where necessary."
The President of the EOA was also asked about the dilapidated apartment building in the Faneromeni area, in which the Organization proceeded on May 20, to post a notice, informing the tenants that they will have to evacuate the interiors in three days.
The forty tenants in total of this apartment building, he said, "abandoned their apartments and found shelter in other areas, however its owners did not proceed to seal the building". "EOA Larnaca, in cooperation with the owners of this apartment building, will proceed with the sealing and fencing of the building, in order to ensure the safety of passers-by," he said.
At the same time, he continued, "we will also proceed with legal measures, so that in case the owners of the building do not seal it, the Organization can proceed with taking specific actions, to achieve the request".
In a remark that the legal measures may take a long time, Mr. Hadjicharalambous said that "this is exactly why we will proceed with the specific measures, in order to give time to the owners to seal the building. We will try through legal measures to secure a decree so that the Organization occupies the building."
In a relevant question, the President of EOA Larnaca replied that "yesterday Friday we proceeded to send a letter to the second apartment building located in the area of Chrysopolitissa, in which, however, we will not ask for evacuation from the residents. We will give a week's notice to the owners to proceed with the necessary measures, with the aim of removing the danger of the building."
He also continued "next week we will proceed to send a letter to the owners of four other apartment buildings. Among them is the apartment building, from the balconies of which three foreigners jumped on Wednesday morning, in order to avoid control by members of the Aliens and Immigration Service, as a result of which a 34-year-old man from Congo lost his life."
To another question, he replied that "the owners of all buildings have the responsibility and must proceed to take measures to remove the danger of their properties and the necessary work to repair the buildings so that there is no danger to their tenants".
Another important part of potentially dangerous buildings, Mr. Hadjicharalambous noted, "is that their owners should know who lives in the apartments, which in most cases, they rent. It is also absolutely necessary for the owners of apartment buildings and houses to immediately proceed with the repairs that need to be made, so that we do not get to the point where the District Organization takes any measures against them."
He also explained that "among these measures is an administrative fine amounting to 20.000 euros and we intend to proceed to impose it where and where required".
Asked to state whether if necessary, the Organization will also ask for the help of the Police, Mr. Hadjicharalambous said that "we have very good cooperation with the Police, the Fire Service and the Municipality of Larnaca. Where and where necessary, we will work with them in order to ensure the goal, which is none other than the safety of the citizens," he concluded.
