A fatal traffic collision on New Year’s Eve shocked Cyprus as four members of the same family lost their lives.
This has reignited memories of multiple deadly road collisions that took place across the island.
The sorrowful lead is held by the once notorious “death turn” in Moniatis, which claimed 22 lives.
The road from Limassol to Platres, near Moniatis, saw a turning point in 2000 when six lives were lost due to brake failure. Authorities responded by installing a barrier to prevent vehicles from plunging into the ravine in case of malfunctions or negligence.
Communities in Psevdas and Anglisides, the Griva Digeni Avenue in Nicosia, and on two occasions, Limassol, have also been marked by accidents with multiple deaths. In the past, speed and poor road construction were to blame. Now, negligence combined with speed is the culprit.
Larnaca district
The list of fatal accidents dates back to around 1980 when the first major accident with multiple casualties was recorded in Cyprus. On the old Larnaca-Kofinou road, just outside the village of Anglisides, passersby noticed a crashed vehicle and called the police who upon arrival, discovered five bodies inside.
The first triple fatal incident occurred 14 years later, in 1994. Three minors, aged 16-17, were found dead in a vehicle in the village of Psevdas.
Griva Digeni Avenue
Shortly after, there was a quadruple fatal crash on Griva Digeni Avenue in Nicosia. Four young women in a small vehicle lost their lives instantly after a collision.
It was then a busy avenue without any protection for passing drivers. Despite having two lanes in each direction, there was no dividing guardrail, leading to collisions when drivers came into contact.
This incident prompted the installation of a guardrail that still exists today. Additionally, shortly after, the first two cameras in Cyprus were placed to monitor drivers’ speed. Other measures were also implemented to control speed.
Polemidia
On May 27, 2017, another multiple fatal accident occurred in Limassol, where three children lost their lives on the road in a collision at traffic lights in Pano Polemidia.
The “death turn” in Moniatis
The first fatal incident in the hazardous turn in Moniatis occurred in the early 1980s involving a school bus from the Economic Lyceum. On March 13, 1981, the bus returning from a school trip from Troodos to Limassol plunged into the ravine, ending up inside a water tank. Five students drowned while 30 were injured.
The largest multiple fatal accident on Moniatis occurred in 1989, involving a military truck and eight British soldiers. A small monument has been constructed at the site in memory of the deceased.
In the early 1990s, another driver lost control of his vehicle, leading to a fatal plunge into the ravine, claiming three lives from the collision.
Several more tragedies unfolded at this turn, with the most recent being in 2000 involving a minibus carrying women from Sri Lanka and the Philippines going for a day trip to Troodos. The driver of the minibus lost control of the vehicle due to break overheating and plunged into the void. Six people were killed in the accident, and several others were injured.
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