Newsroom
A balcony collapse at a 56-apartment building in Limassol on Thursday has forced residents from their homes, bringing renewed attention to the safety of ageing properties in a city where around 1,100 buildings are registered as potentially dangerous.
The fifth-floor balcony gave way at approximately 10am, crashing onto the balcony directly below. No injuries were reported.
The building, located at the junction of Georgiou Katsounotou and Christodoulou Chatzipavlou streets in the Epichosi area, was subsequently evacuated and sealed off by the authorities.
Limassol District Local Government Organisation (EOA) President Yiannis Tsoulouftas told the Cyprus News Agency that evacuation procedures were initiated in cooperation with Civil Defence under an order issued by the Interior Minister.
Civil Defence has arranged temporary accommodation for displaced residents for two days, after which another inspection of the building is expected to take place.
Property owners will be required to appoint a civil engineer and carry out the necessary repairs to address the structural dangers.
Building had already been declared dangerous
Thursday's collapse was not the first incident at the property.
According to Tsoulouftas, another balcony fell from the same apartment building in 2022. The EOA had subsequently classified the property as dangerous and instructed a law firm to begin proceedings for an evacuation order.
The latest incident has brought the condition of residential buildings in Limassol back into focus, particularly the difficulties authorities face when structural problems require entire apartment blocks to be emptied.
With dozens of households potentially affected by a single evacuation, finding alternative accommodation presents an additional challenge in a city already struggling with housing pressures.
Around 1,100 buildings under scrutiny
The Limassol EOA currently has approximately 1,100 potentially dangerous buildings on its records, many of them residential properties occupied by families.
Efforts to assess their condition are ongoing, with 370 cases assigned to private civil engineers registered with the Cyprus Scientific and Technical Chamber (ETEK).
Around 300 inspections have been completed, while the EOA has evaluated approximately 150 to 160 cases.
Engineers' findings are used to determine the condition of each property and whether it should be formally classified as dangerous. Where such a designation is made, responsibility for the required safety measures rests with the owner.
Calls for stronger legislation
Tsoulouftas has also called for changes to the legal framework governing unsafe buildings, arguing that the EOA currently lacks the powers needed to intervene quickly and effectively.
He identified three areas requiring legislative attention: dangerous buildings, jointly owned properties and their management committees, and mandatory periodic building inspections.
He also stressed that any additional responsibilities transferred to district local government organisations must come with adequate funding and the necessary legal authority.
Without those provisions, he warned, existing problems risk simply being transferred from one public body to another.
