Newsroom / CNA
Around 20 residents were forced to leave their homes after two balconies collapsed from a residential apartment building in Limassol on Monday night.
The incident happened on Ilisou Street when a fourth-floor balcony gave way, bringing down the balcony directly beneath it on the third floor. Falling debris damaged a parked car, but no injuries have been reported.
According to the President of the Limassol District Local Government Organisation (EOA), Giannis Tsoulouftas, engineers were sent to the scene immediately, while contractors secured the area to prevent access. Civil Defence assisted with the evacuation of the building and arranged temporary accommodation for residents who had nowhere else to stay overnight.
Engineers returned on Tuesday morning to carry out a structural assessment to determine whether the building is safe for residents to return or whether it must remain empty until repair work removes any risk.
Mr Tsoulouftas said initial inspections indicate the problem appears to be confined to the balconies rather than the building's overall structure.
He explained that the apartment block had not been classified as a dangerous building by the former Limassol Municipality. Instead, it had been listed as requiring maintenance after inspections identified deterioration to exterior walls and damage to concrete. Property owners had previously been instructed to appoint a structural engineer and carry out the necessary repairs.
Based on the collapse, Mr Tsoulouftas said it appears those recommendations were not acted upon. He also repeated his view that the legal procedures available to local authorities for dealing with unsafe buildings remain slow and ineffective.
The EOA is still waiting for a court order to evacuate the Seagate apartment building in the Germasogeia tourist area, where an application was submitted on 20 May 2026 and has yet to be decided.
