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dpa
Athens/Cairo
A major forest fire that killed four people in Cyprus has been brought under control, President Nicos Anastasiades said on Sunday.
Egypt confirmed that the four were Egyptian nationals working in Cyprus.
The Foreign Ministry in Cairo said they will be buried in Egypt.
“The site of the incident and its circumstances are being examined in preparation for finalizing all procedures to transport their bodies to the homeland as soon as possible,” the ministry added in a statement without further details.
The victims are said to have been agricultural workers.
According to Cypriot media reports, they had tried to flee the flames by car but had ultimately been unable to get away.
More than 55 square metres of forest and farmland had been destroyed, Anastasiades said on Sunday afternoon during a visit to the firefighting headquarters, calling it the worst disaster on the island in decades.
The fire broke out after persistent drought and several days of intense heat in the north-east of the port city of Limassol.
Several villages had to be evacuated on Saturday night due to the blaze. Hundreds of firefighters and 11 firefighting planes were deployed to stop the fire, the state radio broadcaster RIK reported.
Israel, Greece and Italy had sent firefighting aircraft to Cyprus.
A man suspected of causing the fire has been taken into custody.
Athens/Cairo
A major forest fire that killed four people in Cyprus has been brought under control, President Nicos Anastasiades said on Sunday.
Egypt confirmed that the four were Egyptian nationals working in Cyprus.
The Foreign Ministry in Cairo said they will be buried in Egypt.
“The site of the incident and its circumstances are being examined in preparation for finalizing all procedures to transport their bodies to the homeland as soon as possible,” the ministry added in a statement without further details.
The victims are said to have been agricultural workers.
According to Cypriot media reports, they had tried to flee the flames by car but had ultimately been unable to get away.
More than 55 square metres of forest and farmland had been destroyed, Anastasiades said on Sunday afternoon during a visit to the firefighting headquarters, calling it the worst disaster on the island in decades.
The fire broke out after persistent drought and several days of intense heat in the north-east of the port city of Limassol.
Several villages had to be evacuated on Saturday night due to the blaze. Hundreds of firefighters and 11 firefighting planes were deployed to stop the fire, the state radio broadcaster RIK reported.
Israel, Greece and Italy had sent firefighting aircraft to Cyprus.
A man suspected of causing the fire has been taken into custody.
