By Tania Khadder
A 60-YEAR-OLD bus driver was missing last night after his vehicle was swept away by a river which broke its banks due to the heavy rains, police said.
The man had just dropped off his passengers – mainly pupils – at around 7pm, when his mini-bus was swept by the Yialias river in Pera Horio Nisou near Nicosia.
Information on the situation was scarce as police at 11.40pm said they were still looking for the man while reports claimed he was found inside the bus.
His condition was not made known.
Stormy weather battered the whole of Cyprus yesterday causing rivers to burst their banks and rendering roads dangerous.
The problem was worse in Nicosia where at least one bridge was swept away by the Pedhieos river while police warned residents living near its banks to be on alert throughout the night.
Three flights delayed their departure from Paphos airport and an inbound flight was directed to Larnaca due to a hail storm and ice on the runway.
The fire service said it responded to over 150 distress calls around the island relating to flooded dwellings and stranded drivers.
The island’s lowest lowland temperature was felt in Nicosia at 6C, with the highest being in Paphos at 15C.
Across the island, the heavy rain was accompanied by strong winds blowing south westerly at force 5-6.
In the Troodos Mountains, all four roads to the summit were inaccessible to cars not equipped with four-wheel drive. The road between Platres and Psilodendro was also closed as a result of the storm.
Between Limassol and Paphos, roads remained open but with heavy rain and thick fog in the area, police warned drivers to be cautious and to avoid any unnecessary journeys.
According to the Larnaca Meterological office, the weather will stay the same today, with showers expected with possible thunderstorms.
Sleet and snow will cover the highest peaks of the Troodos Mountains over 5,500 feet, though a significant accumulation of snow is not expected in the next few days.
The occasional heavy showers, high wind and low temperatures were not unusual for this time of year, the Larnaca Meteorological office said.
The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.
