Hundreds of buildings in Lefkara are in a dilapidated state, including listed ones, but efforts to address the issue have not yielded results, mayor Sofoklis Sofokleous said on Monday.

Sofokleous said the buildings deemed dangerous either belonged to Turkish Cypriots or had been abandoned by owners who live abroad.

For years, Sofokleous had been contacting ministries and authorities. “I have requested strict legal measures, presented photographic material and submitted specific proposals, however I am sorry to say that the issues have not progressed as they should have done to prevent mourning victims.”

He expressed “sadness over the death of two of our fellow human beings from the collapse of the building in Limassol”, as well as “anger and rage”.

“I asked the president of the Larnaca self-government district organisation (EOA) to demand that all buildings in the city and province be inspected and that all planning permits that were granted be posted. This did not happen. I requested the same things about 20 days ago, during a meeting that took place in Larnaca in the presence of the Etek and Larnaca EOA presidents.”

Sofokleous told the Cyprus News Agency that in Lefkara and its municipal districts – Vavla, Layia, Skarinou, Kornos, Delikopos, Pano Lefkara and Kato Lefkara – there were “dozens of abandoned buildings”.

“In Pano Lefkara alone, 555 buildings have been recorded that are listed, however a large number of them face particular problems, while approximately 100 are Turkish Cypriot, several of which are in very poor condition. Something similar is happening, to a lesser extent, in the municipal districts,” he said.

In Layia, he added, “we demolished buildings that were ready to collapse on people, since their owners were indifferent or absent abroad.”

“We do not have the necessary tools and supplies to protect the public from the buildings that will at some point fall on the heads of unsuspecting people,” Sofokleous pointed out.

“I do not share the view that buildings that have history and culture should be demolished, but unfortunately we are forced to take measures for the safety of the public. The architectural heritage of our country cannot be destroyed, but on the other hand inaction forces political leaders to demolish buildings that are dilapidated and dangerous,” he added.