The two-day search and rescue exercise Artemis 2025 has been completed, testing the country’s readiness to respond to a major earthquake, civil defence spokesman Panayiotis Liasides said on Saturday.

The exercise took place from Thursday to Friday across the Larnaca district of Larnaca, as well as at the disaster response unit (Emak) facilities in Kofinou and Zygi.

It focused on the coordination and preparedness of state services in the event of a large-scale seismic emergency.

Held in cooperation with the fire brigade’s Emak unit and the ambulance service, Liasides said the action formed part of ongoing preparation and training for an effective response to wide-scale emergencies.

Artemis 2025 was designed to test the readiness and coordination of search and rescue teams.

It also aimed to improve cooperation between all involved agencies, and practice long-duration, continuous rescue operations.

The scenario assumed a 7.1 magnitude earthquake off the southern coast of Larnaca.

It included widespread building collapses, a large number of trapped civilians, serious structural damage, and the need for the immediate mobilisation of both land and sea forces.

Liasides said the national emergency plan Engelados was activated during the exercise.

Rescue teams carried out practical operations to locate and free people trapped in damaged buildings.

The operational phase included surface searches for trapped individuals, access to internal spaces using specialised equipment, opening rescue routes, providing first aid, and safely transferring simulated casualties to designated handover points. All procedures were carried out as they would be in a real emergency.

Liasides said the exercise was assessed as highly successful. He said it demonstrated the high level of readiness of the teams, effective cooperation between agencies, and the ability to manage long-duration operations under pressure.

He described Artemis as a key exercise for strengthening Cyprus’ preparedness for natural disasters.

Cyprus has experienced a series of earthquakes and tremors in recent months, underscoring the relevance of national preparedness efforts.

An earthquake measuring 3.9 on the richter scale was recorded near the Limassol region on December 3, with no reports of damage or injuries reported at the time. 

In addition, smaller seismic events, including a 2.9 magnitude quake near Limassol on December 4, were noted by seismological observers. 

Before these, in November, Cyprus was struck by two earthquakes, each measuring 5.3 on the richter scale in the Paphos area, both felt widely across the island.