Nine hurt in traffic light pile-up

NINE people were injured, one seriously, in a Sunday pile-up at the traffic lights marking the start of the motorway out of Larnaca.

The accident happened at the Rizoelias traffic lights at approximately 4.20pm.

Ioannis Theodosis Tsiolas, 45, was leaving Larnaca on his way to Nicosia with his daughter Koulla and his niece Niki when his vehicle collided with one driven by 34-year-old Eleni Koutoumbas. Koutoumbas was driving with her baby daughter Ourania, her two sons Demetris, 4, and Michaelis, 3, and her parents Demetris and Ioanna Biniaris, aged 66 and 60.

Tsiolas’ car overturned on impact, knocking down the traffic lights and colliding into another car that was waiting at the red light.

The third car was driven by Ioannis Georgallas, who was not injured.

The other victims were taken to Larnaca general hospital, with Demetris Biniaris seriously injured and kept in for observation along with his wife, grandson Demetris Koutoumbas and Koulla Tsiolas.