Arson attack destroys vehicles at rental shop in Protaras

A suspected arson attack occurred in the early hours of August 15, 2026, at a vehicle rental shop in the Protaras area of the Famagusta district. Police and fire services were dispatched to the scene around 4:00 am to extinguish the blaze, which destroyed a number of quad bikes and buggies, and caused significant structural damage to the property owned by a 73-year-old man from Ayia Napa. Although fire crews conducted a search for potential victims inside the building during the operation, no one was located.

Preliminary investigations by the Famagusta Criminal Investigation Department (CID) indicate that the fire was deliberately set, with evidence suggesting the use of an accelerant. Authorities reported that the flames originated outside the building before spreading rapidly to the interior. The site remains cordoned off to facilitate forensic examinations by police and fire experts. Investigators are currently seeking eyewitness accounts and reviewing footage from closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in the vicinity to identify the perpetrators involved in the attack.