Fire service experts and other officials began investigating a fire at a polystyrene factory in Dromolaxia that killed a 63-year-old electrician.
Investigators face significant challenges in determining the fire’s origin and cause due to extensive damage from extreme temperatures inside the facility. A specialist contractor conducted safety works on Wednesday, installing support structures in areas at risk of collapse.
The Larnaca Criminal Investigation Department continues to gather witness statements whilst awaiting the fire investigation report. Three maintenance workers who were operating on the ground floor have provided statements, with the factory owner expected to testify once his health permits, following burns sustained in the incident.
Police are investigating the case as death by negligence, with preliminary findings suggesting the blaze may have originated from maintenance work on the ground floor, possibly sparked by metal-cutting equipment.
The deceased electrician, who was not a permanent employee at the factory, had been called in on Sunday morning to conduct electrical work on the first floor.
His remains were recovered on Monday afternoon after an extensive operation.
The Department of Labour Inspection is conducting a parallel investigation, examining the circumstances of the death and compliance with safety regulations during maintenance operations.
A post-mortem examination was conducted on Wednesday afternoon at Nicosia Hospital by state pathologists Angeliki Papetta, Orthodoxos Orthodoxou, and anthropologist Alexandra Mouski, with Dr Marios Matsakis present on behalf of the family. The examination confirmed the body was completely carbonised.
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