A further two dangerous residential properties in Larnaca will be demolished in the coming days as authorities continue efforts to address a growing number of unsafe buildings across the district, president of the Larnaca local district government organisation (EOA) Angelos Hadjicharalambous said on Friday.

Hadjicharalambous said demolition works are scheduled for Thursday and Friday on two hazardous homes on Stavrodromiou Street.

The demolitions follow that of another dangerous house in the Sotiros area at the end of May, where three women had been living. A second building, whose roof partially collapsed in mid-May, was also demolished last week.

According to Hadjicharalambous, authorities are currently monitoring a further 35 buildings that require urgent action.

“We will be sending notices to owners instructing them to take the necessary measures to eliminate the danger posed by these buildings,” he said.

If owners fail to comply within a specified period, the organisation will proceed with evacuations in accordance with existing procedures.

The buildings in question include both apartment blocks and houses located mainly in Larnaca, as well as within the municipality of Dromolaxia-Meneou and several surrounding communities.

Hadjicharalambous acknowledged that the process for dealing with dangerous structures remains lengthy and bureaucratic.

“There is considerable delay before all the required procedures can be completed,” he said, adding that authorities are often confronted with significant social challenges when residents must be relocated.

The issue has been brought into sharp focus following the evacuation of an apartment building in the Faneromeni area, where around 40 people had been living across 24 flats.

Hadjicharalambous confirmed that the EOA had formally secured an evacuation order from the Larnaca District Court this week, despite the building already having been declared dangerous by the licensing authority and vacated.

“Procedurally, we wanted to have the court order in place so it could also be served on the property owners,” he said.

The organisation will now move ahead with fencing off the building and installing additional warning signs to alert passersby to the danger, with the aim of safeguarding public safety.

The Faneromeni evacuation exposed wider concerns over emergency housing and support for displaced residents. Hadjicharalambous said relocating the tenants and finding storage space for their belongings had proved particularly challenging.

He praised the assistance provided by the interior ministry, Civil Defence and Larnaca municipality, but criticised the deputy ministry of social welfare for what he described as a lack of involvement.

“The deputy ministry was absent,” he said, calling for greater participation in similar cases in the future.

“These issues must finally be regulated and managed properly,” he added.

Hadjicharalambous also reiterated calls for legislative reform to enable authorities to act more swiftly in cases involving dangerous buildings.

“We are awaiting amendments to the legislation so that we can handle these cases immediately, without losing valuable time,” he said.

“We want to be more practical and resolve such problems quickly. Under the current legal framework, these cases are not easily dealt with.”