Civil servants’ union Pasydy on Monday called for prison inmate reduction and action on staffing shortages after inmates started a fire at the central prisons on Sunday that left a prison officer hospitalised.

The union called the events “unacceptable” and said prison operations “cannot and must not continue to rely solely on the work performed by the staff, who are chronically understaffed”.

It added that it will request a meeting with Justice Minister Costas Fitiris to address the issues mentioned.

The Sunday fire began after three inmates in a maximum-security wing designed for those with mental health needs deliberately set fire to their cells and a corridor, according to prison authorities.

A prison warden was taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation, and the wing was evacuated.

Pasydy reiterated its stance that there should be an “immediate reduction in the number of inmates”, pointing out that Cyprus has the most overcrowded prisons in the European Union.

Eurostat data from May showed Cyprus’ prison occupancy rate is 227.6 per cent, far above the second-highest Slovenia, with 134.2 per cent.

The union said that overcrowding, along with understaffing, “inevitably leads to limited capacity” for the supervision that could prevent similar incidents. It also called for actions to address understaffing and “ensure safe and normal working conditions”.

The unit, known as wing four, where Sunday’s fire occurred has raised concerns following recent incidents. In December last year, a Greek Cypriot inmate fatally assaulted an Egyptian inmate in the wing.