Officials surveying extent of latest storm damage

Officials are surveying damages caused by Saturday night’s storms, interior ministry spokesman Loizos Michael said on Monday.

Heavy storms hit several parts of the island on Saturday night, uprooting trees and causing damage and power cuts, but the Faros area in Pervolia, Larnaca, appears to have been the hardest hit, Michael said.

In Pervolia, damages were recorded at the E-hotel as well as a holiday home complex nearby. Luckily, most of the damaged properties were empty as they are holiday homes, Larnaca District official Vasileia Tzemma said.

E-hotel also suffered extensive damages, but there were no guests as it was closed for the season due to the pandemic.

Tzemma said that task forces from the Larnaca District Administration, the Ports Authority and the Public works department have been deployed to assess the damages and will compile a report to be given to the ministry of interior and the Council of Ministers, who will decide on the next steps.

Pervolia mayor Costas Tingis said that homes in the Faros area suffered shattered windows, damaged roof tiles and toppled water heaters, while two ornamental fishing boats owned by the community council have been destroyed. “The lighthouse itself, a landmark in the area, has lost its roof,” he added.

Tignis thanked Larnaca district officer Odysseas Hadjistefanou, the police, fire department and EAC for their swift response to the crisis.

“This has never happened in our area before. People were scared but fortunately we did not mourn any victims,” he said.

Michael urged the public to report any damages to their local municipalities so that they can be surveyed in due course.