Moscow hopes Russian fire probe leaves nothing out

Moscow says it is still waiting for official conclusions on what caused the fire at the Russian cultural center in Nicosia last month, with local media saying Cypriot officials were leaning towards an accident but no report has been finalized.

Cyprus Police and the Fire Department said they were conducting separate investigations but no final comprehensive report has been shared by law enforcement to date about a recent fire at the Russian Centre of Culture and Science.

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Friday that Moscow took note of information provided by Cypriot officials so far.

“We expect to receive the final materials of the official investigation of the incident conducted by the police and the fire service of the Republic of Cyprus,” Zakharova stated.

Local media have speculated that the fire was caused by accident when a lit cigarette was tossed possibly by a worker during renovation at the center.

But Fire Department officials said they had made no such statements, suggesting the accidental cigarette theory was started by media outlets. 

Police spokesperson Christos Andreou told Knews on Friday that a chemical lab report was still expected before a final report could be issued by law enforcement authorities.

Reports initially said investigators wanted to wait for chemical analysis to understand better whether a ruptured gas cylinder found at the scene exploded before or after the fire.

But malicious intent or arson have not been officially discounted, with previous police statements suggesting there was more work to be done in the investigation. It was not clear whether any persons of interest have been named in the case.

Zakharova said Moscow hoped that all possibilities be considered in order to help authorities “rule out those that involve malicious intent.”

“It is our view that the agencies responsible for investigating such socially dangerous incidents should consider every version,” she said.