A powerful explosive device went off on Thursday at around 11pm in the village of Mesogi near Paphos, heavily damaging a car belonging to a 50-year-old man.

According to Paphos police spokesman Michalis Nicolaou, the man said the explosion woke him up.

When he went out of the house, he found that the company vehicle parked outside was on fire, which he proceeded to extinguish on his own.

Firefighters and a police explosives expert were called to the scene, with the latter finding that the explosion was caused by an improvised bomb containing highly flammable materials.

The scene remains cordoned off and guarded, with further examinations expected to take place within the day.