Polis Chrysochous deputy mayor alleges official negligence regarding fires

Dervis Charalambous, the deputy mayor of the Kritou Terra district within the Polis Chrysochous municipality, has publicly accused the municipal council and the mayor of severe negligence and indifference. This controversy follows a series of deliberate fire incidents that occurred last Saturday across an area stretching from Prodromi to Drousia, Kritou Terra, and Arodes.

Charalambous asserts that he had repeatedly warned the municipal leadership through formal correspondence regarding significant fire risks. He specifically claims that his requests for the urgent construction of firebreaks and the clearing of flammable vegetation from open spaces were ignored. According to the deputy mayor, the municipal authority failed to act despite receiving specific recommendations and inspection reports from state departments aimed at preventing such disasters.

The fires, which were officially confirmed to be maliciously started, have sparked intense criticism of the local government's inability to prepare for fire-prone conditions. Charalambous highlighted that the lack of preventative measures could have led to even more tragic outcomes for the region, noting that despite clear evidence of risk and repeated administrative alerts, neither the mayor nor other council members took meaningful action to address the hazards before the weekend events took place.