Impounded minivan in fatal accident catches fire

A minivan that was involved in a fatal accident, where two Egyptian men were killed Tuesday, caught fire at the police pound around midnight.

According to media reports, the minivan that was being used as a taxi, was impounded by authorities following a deadly pile up accident on the Nicosia-Limassol westbound highway. The fire was quickly put out by police officers while fire fighters were called to the scene, according to reports.

Two Egyptian men aged 36 and 24, who reportedly came to Cyprus for temporary work, died in the collision just after they were picked up by another friend in a pickup truck at Larnaca International Airport. 

The fatal accident was caused after the drive shaft of a semi-trailer lorry in motion became detached, between Pareklisia and Ayios Tychonas. The minibus following in the same left lane and attempting to do an overtake swerved to the right, causing the pick-up truck on the right to veer off course and slide sideways until it was wedged onto the back of the lorry. The two men were reportedly not wearing seatbelts while some reports said the minivan slammed onto the pickup truck during the manoeuvre.

A side issue in connection with the accident also made headline news on Thursday, when police responded to an incident at Limassol General Hospital where staff and friends and relatives of the two victims got into a heated argument, related to red tape and delays at the mortuary.

Initial reports said the fire on the minivan could have been caused by a short circuit without ruling out other scenarios.

Officials later said they believed the fire was caused by a short circuit and dismissed other scenarios, saying CCTV footage did not show anything suspicious. The vehicle was also no longer needed in the case, traffic officer Michael Michail said, who also told the media the car was ready to be delivered back to its owner. 

Sources told Knews that no arrestes were expected based on current information. Police are still investigating the fatal accident.