Three men aged 52, 42 and 39 were seriously injured in an explosion at a metal recycling plant in Aradippou on Friday morning, though doctors at Larnaca general hospital say their condition is stable and not life-threatening.

According to Larnaca police, the 52-year-old suffered injuries to his arms and legs and is expected to undergo surgery.

The 42-year-old, who had gone to the site to collect scrap metal, sustained a ruptured spleen, which was surgically removed and he is recovering in the hospital’s orthopaedic ward.

The 39-year-old, who has been residing illegally in Cyprus since 2023, was also wounded in the arms and legs and is undergoing surgery.

The explosion occurred at around 9.30am while the 52-year-old was unloading scrap metal from a pick-up truck.

He, an employee of the facility, and another man at the scene were all injured in the blast.

Larnaca police director Ioannis Sotiriadis, along with officers from the Aradippou station and the Larnaca CID, cordoned off the site and collected evidence.

Initial examinations suggest the blast was caused by an unexploded military ordnance.

Bomb disposal officers from both the police and the National Guard, as well as officials from the labour inspection department and the fire brigade, were also present at the scene.

The case is under investigation by the police.