Building in Engomi where explosion occurred lacked required permits

The apartments involved in Tuesday's (20/02) explosion in Engomi did not possess the necessary permits from the planning department, stated Mr. Zacharias Kyriakou, the Mayor of the area.

Speaking on SIGMA's "Protoselido" show on Friday morning (23/02), Kyriakou disclosed that the building had initially received a permit for a ground-floor residence in 1976. Subsequent modifications in 1985 and 1988 extended the construction without proper approvals from the planning department.

"In the process, there were add-on alterations which the planning department informed us yesterday that they did not receive an application for approval of this alteration. They did not receive the newly required approval from the planning department," Kyriakou said.

The health condition of the 18-year-old woman injured in the explosion is stable and not life-threatening. She sustained burns on various parts of her body. The second person taken to the hospital, a man residing in the area, was not present at the time of the explosion, as confirmed by police spokesman Mr. Christo Andreou.

[Information sourced from 24News]