The devastating wildfires in mountainous Limassol have now claimed names and faces, as the community of Gypsou mourns the unjust loss of 85-year-old Demetris Philippides Pastou (known as Pamboulis) and his wife, 77-year-old Maro Avraam Philippidou. The couple was found carbonized in their car while attempting to escape the blaze.
The tragic couple, former residents of England who had permanently returned to Cyprus in recent years, were at their holiday home in Silikou. As the fire progressed, they decided to evacuate the area and tried to return to their home in Limassol. However, on the Monagri–Alassa route, the vehicle they were in became engulfed in flames. The exact circumstances of the accident have not yet been clarified.
The two bodies were found carbonized inside the burned vehicle, which was registered to the 77-year-old woman.
It’s worth noting that the Police have not officially released the names, as identification through DNA testing is pending. However, the Gypsou Community Council announced the details of the elderly couple in a post. “Gypsou paid its own price in the deadly fires,” the Council stated.
“These are our fellow villager, former resident of England and in recent years resident of Limassol, Demetris Philippides Pastou (Pamboulis), 85 years old, and his wife Maro Avraam Philippidou, 77 years old, from Morphou,” the post added, expressing “the warmest condolences to the victims’ family.”
