A 76-year-old man was killed by a passing minibus on the Limassol-Paphos highway on Wednesday after stopping to move a refrigerator that had fallen from his vehicle.

The man had been travelling in a double-cabin vehicle with his grandson when the refrigerator fell onto the road near the tunnel at Episkopi, before the exit to Paramali.

According to British base police, he turned back to retrieve the fridge and got out of his truck to remove it from the carriageway, when a minibus carrying passengers to Paphos airport struck both the vehicle and the 76-year-old man.

His death was confirmed at the scene, and the other passenger in the vehicle, his grandson, was not injured.

The minibus’ driver was arrested and underwent alcohol and drug testing.

Police are expected to take his statement, along with statements from passengers and others who may have witnessed the collision.

The section of the highway falls within the British bases, and the investigation is being carried out by British police and its traffic accident investigation team.

Limassol traffic police also attended the scene to assist with traffic management.

British base police have appealed to drivers who witnessed the collision or have relevant dashcam footage to come forward.

The tunnel was closed for several hours in the direction of Paphos following the collision, with traffic being diverted through the old Limassol-Paphos Road via Kantou, though the tunnel has since been reopened.