Police break up mass brawls at Pournara (Updated)

Authorities had to intervene and break up two mass fights at the Pournara reception centre for asylum seekers on Saturday.

A fight that broke out around 5pm resulted in the injury and hospitalisation of one person, police told the Cyprus Mail. The fight allegedly involved people of Pakistani and African descent.

Earlier in the day, police said information from the centre suggested as many as 300 people were involved in a fight which broke out around 11am between two different nationalities.

“With the intervention of the police, the incidents were put under control,” a police spokesman said.

No injuries were reported from the morning incidents.

Reports said police had to intervene with tear gas, however their use was not immediately confirmed by the police’s press office.

Officers were at the scene collecting testimonies to determine the exact cause of the brawl.