Authorities are investigating the tragic and horrific loss of the couple who had a summer home in the Sylikou community and was trapped in the flames on the Alassa-Lania rural road as they tried to flee in the early hours of the blaze on Wednesday afternoon.
Speaking on CyBC radio this morning, Sylikou community leader Nikos Aresti referred to ‘major mistakes and negligence’ by relevant services. ‘Police asked us to evacuate the village’, Aresti said, telling us to evacuate through the Trimiklini-Ayios Mamas road.
The church bells rang out to inform people of the urgent message to leave, with the couple killed not hearing the call and being notified by other residents.
It appears that the victims did not realise that some of the roads were closed as flames had spread around them, with Aresti saying that police was nowhere to be seen in the area to advise people leaving.
They consequently followed the wrong route, one that led them straight into the blaze-one that should have been closed off by police-and were sadly discovered in the car, many hours later.
They will be identified through DNA testing.
