Paphos Mayor Phedonas Phedonos once again accused state welfare services of chronic inadequacy and illegality, following the outbreak of a fire in an accommodation centre for minors.

The fire which broke out in the housing centre over the weekend, was deemed by police to have been set accidentally from a lit cigarette butt, on Monday.

According to police spokesman Michalis Nikolaou, the fire had broken out on Sunday at 9.30am in an abandoned room of the building located on Adamantiou Korae street.

The fire service extinguished the fire, while the CID and the electromechanical service investigated onsite.

They determined that the fire had started in an unoccupied room on the second floor which had stood abandoned and unlocked.

Speaking to state broadcaster CyBC, Phedonos decried that fact that the particular facility has been operating for two and a half years on an illegal basis, since it had originally been offered by the municipality on a temporary, emergency basis.

Since then serious crimes, including prostitution, drug dealing and assaults were commonplace at the site, the mayor said. Attacks on staff had also been reported.

“The [original] decision had been to provide the [unused hotel] as accommodation for two months,” the mayor said, adding that the state was under international obligation to create a suitable permanent facility.

“The authorities all know of the problems but we live under a tyranny of the mediocre,” the mayor concluded.

Akel officer Marina Savva said in a written statement that Deputy Welfare Minister Marilena Evangelou “must respond immediately and inform about the living conditions of the unaccompanied minors who live there”.