A fire which broke out in a house in Paphos on Monday afternoon was caused by a short circuit in an electrical appliance in the house, Paphos police’s assistant operations director Michalis Nikolaou said on Tuesday.

Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency, he said the house belongs to a 76-year-old man and suffered “extensive damage” as a result of the fire, particularly to its ground floor and to the furniture inside.

He added that the total cost of the damage caused has not yet been calculated, and that the homeowner had not taken out any form of home insurance.

He said police had visited the scene to investigate, and the possibility of any criminal activity being behind the fire has been ruled out. Further police investigations will continue on Tuesday.

The fire brigade put the fire out using a water hose, while the homeowner safely evacuated the premises as soon as he noticed the fire, and was thus in no physical danger.