A total of 80 unaccompanied minor migrants, who were housed at a facility in Oroklini, are being relocated to other facilities within and outside Larnaca following two fires that occurred late on Tuesday and early on Wednesday.
No injuries were reported among the minors or the staff of the social welfare services.
The fires broke out at around 11.46pm on Tuesday and at 2.40am on Wednesday. Three fire trucks responded to extinguish the fires, which were contained only after firefighters entered the building.
The fire affected seven different rooms on the second floor, causing extensive damage to the premises. Damage was also caused to common areas, stairwells and common areas on the second and third floors.
According to the deputy director of the social welfare services Maria Kyratzi, immediate coordinated actions were taken by the staff present at the facility when the fire broke out, as well as by the fire service and the police.
“Thanks to the coordinated action, no child or staff member was injured or endangered,” she told the Cyprus News Agency (CNA).
Kyratzi added that everyone present at the facility when the fire broke out was safely transferred to the basement.
Investigations are currently underway by both the fire service and the police to determine the causes of the fire.
Kyratzi explained that the minors will be transferred to separate facilities to address the issues that have arisen.
“The residents of the facility are minors who, due to their age, engage in various actions that can sometimes create further tensions when a large number of them are gathered together,” she said.
Efforts also are being made to integrate the minors into smaller facilities to better address their issues and provide them with better opportunities for integration in the various areas where they reside.
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