A 21-year-old man sustained serious injuries to his right hand after an explosion at his workplace in Paphos.

According to the police, the explosion occurred in an electric appliances repair shop during the process of transferring oxygen gas from a large cylinder to a second smaller one.

The 21-year-old was taken to the Paphos general hospital with serious injuries to his right hand. According to reports, his fingers were severed in the blast.

He was later transferred to a private clinic in Limassol where he was kept for further treatment.

Police and officials from the labour inspection office and the state electromechanical service, went on site to investigating the accident.

Preliminary examinations showed that the explosion was caused by pressurisation of the cylinders.