Fire guts four boats in Ayia Napa port

A FIRE completely destroyed four vessels docked at the Ayia Napa port on Sunday night, causing damages estimated to be in excess of €3 million.

According to the Deputy Police Chief Christakis Dionysiou, the fire started at around 10.15pm on the Condesa Napa, belonging to George Kremmastos, and quickly spread to three other vessels, leaving all four boats ruined.

The ?apa King and Captain Gregory, property of Antonakis Grigoriou from Paralimni, and the Party Cruise belonging to Nicos Spaos from Ayia Napa were the names of the other three destroyed vessels.

A fire department spokesman said the fire spread very quickly due to the highly flammable material from which the vessels are built and the lack of the basic infrastructure for fire fighting and fire safety at the Ayia Napa port.

The Ayia Napa Municipal Council yesterday held an emergency meeting to discuss the ways in which they will support the owners of the damaged vessels, and they will also ask the government for money.

Mayor Antonis Tsokkos said that “the Fisheries Department, the Fire Department and the municipality should be greatly concerned with the issue of security and fire safety”

Police and Fire Department experts are examining the debris to determine the reasons behind the fire.

The procedures to identify the causes of the fire should be completed to see who is to blame. The completion of investigations will reveal whether this was an accident or if the fire was set intentionally”.

Speaking to reporters from the scene, Agriculture Minister Michalis Polynikis reassured the public that the issue of pollution would be tackled “in full co-ordination and communication with the relevant departments”.

“We will pump the fuel from the vessels and then we will remove them from the sea.”

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