The body of the 63-year-old electrician who died in a fire at a polyurethane manufacturing plant in Dromolaxia’s industrial area was recovered on Monday around 3pm.

The man has not yet been named, but he is known to be a Greek Cypriot.

Firefighters were at work all morning to create a “safety corridor” at the burnt-out plant to recover the man’s charred remains, according to Fire Service chief Nikos Longinos.

A total of five people were known to be inside the factory when the fire broke out, and only four had initially been accounted for. The victim appears to have been carrying out electrical work and got trapped in the building.

Speaking to Alpha on Monday, Longinos said authorities knew the exact location of the man’s body, found on the ground floor of the destroyed structure.

The fire reportedly broke out while the electrician was working in the factory’s loft on an electrical fault, which subsequently collapsed completely.

“Nothing is left inside the factory, and initial information is being reviewed by police,” Longinos said, adding that other workers reported the man was working in the loft, which has since collapsed entirely. “The man became trapped in the fire.”

Longinos said the operations to recover the body on Monday were extremely difficult due to a potential roof or debris collapse at the site.

“The situation inside is extremely dangerous due to the intense fire and high thermal load,” he said. “Fires involving flammable materials and petroleum products can quickly escalate, posing severe risks to human lives, and the facility’s infrastructure is in a critical state.”

The burned out polyurethane plant in Dromolaxia (Photo: Christos Theodorides)

An investigation team was to enter the factory to determine the cause of the fire.
“We need the opportunity to investigate exactly what happened,” Longinos added.

Asked if the Fire Service would examine fire safety measures and emergency exits at the factory, he said all safety inspections are handled by the Fire Service’s safety department.

“When initial plans are submitted, they go through the safety department with recommendations for fire safety systems, emergency exits, alarms, and so on,” he explained. “These measures are designed to prevent fires. Once a fire starts, it is beyond the scope of these systems to restore safety fully.”

The Fire Service Chief also addressed the response time, confirming that the call was received at 8.27am on Sunday, and five firefighting vehicles arrived at the scene within ten minutes.

Earlier on Monday, Fire Service spokesperson Andreas Kettis said firefighters remained at the scene of the fire throughout the night to prevent any rekindling of the blaze. The ministry of labour issued a decree forbidding entry into the plant.