Newsroom
Authorities in Paphos have identified 226 buildings considered structurally unsafe across the district, prompting renewed efforts to assess risks and improve how such cases are handled.
The issue is set to be addressed at a nationwide meeting scheduled for Tuesday in Nicosia, where the heads of all District Local Government Organizations (EOAs) will meet with representatives from the Cyprus Scientific and Technical Chamber (ETEK) and the Union of Municipalities. The discussion will center on how to manage and monitor dangerous structures more effectively.
According to Paphos EOA President Charalambos Pittokopitis, one of the main priorities is to re-evaluate all buildings already listed as hazardous. Working alongside ETEK, authorities aim to update existing records and gain a clearer picture of each structure’s current condition.
Recent data show that 71 of the unsafe buildings are located within Paphos municipality, with roughly a dozen classified as being in particularly critical condition. A further 109 are found in surrounding communities, most of them abandoned, while 46 are located in the Polis Chrysochous municipality.
Although many of the rural properties are unoccupied, officials are more concerned about multi-storey residential buildings in Paphos that are still inhabited. Inspections carried out on site by the EOA president and a civil engineer have so far not indicated an immediate risk of collapse, but authorities plan to carry out follow-up checks and take action where needed under existing legal provisions.
The matter was also discussed during an internal meeting earlier this week, where procedures for handling such cases were reviewed. Instructions were issued regarding the use of evacuation orders in situations where public safety is at risk.
Officials are also calling for closer cooperation with the Legal Service and the House of Representatives to address legislative shortcomings. Current processes are seen as slow and cumbersome, a factor that could increase the likelihood of serious incidents if not improved.
