Massive fire guts Limassol factory

A HUGE fire gutted a factory and a warehouse and threatened to engulf homes in the Omonia area of Limassol town yesterday.

Homes around the furniture factory and engine oil warehouse on Deinokratous street had to be evacuated in the early hours while fire-fighters fought a three-hour battle with the flames.

No one was injured in the blaze, but eight homes were damaged.

The fire, which broke out at about 11.50am on Tuesday, caused tens of thousands of pounds worth of damage to the furniture-making factory and warehouse, both of which were gutted.

"The flames reached up to the sky," one distraught Deinokratous street resident said.

The fire was finally put out at around 3am yesterday.

Limassol CID chief Andreas Kariolemos later said police forensics experts were having a hard time determining the cause of the fire because it had burnt so hot that little evidence remained.

The owner of the furniture factory, 40-year-old Limassolian Andreas Tsiakkiros, went into shock when he saw the gutted remains of his premises and had to be taken to Limassol hospital. He was released after treatment.

Damages to the factory, which was insured, were put at £66,000 by police.

The damage to the warehouse, owned by Stelios Demetriou from Limassol, had not been estimated, but a van and a forklift truck were among the items destroyed in the warehouse blaze.

Local residents complained that officials had ignored their repeated warnings about the fire hazard the warehouse posed.

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