Deadly Cyprus wildfire under full control
Authorities in Cyprus say a deadly wildfire has been brought "under full control". The blaze, described by an official as the worst in the country's history, burned an area of around 55 sq km (21 sq miles).Four people died, while a 67-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of starting the fires. The UK, Greece, Italy and Israel were among the countries that sent help to deal with the situation. The fires, which broke out on the island on Saturday afternoon, were fanned by strong winds.
As they spread through the southern Limassol district, dozens of houses were burned and several villages evacuated. The Forest Department announced that the blaze had been controlled at 08:00 (05:00 GMT) on Monday, but added that forces remained in the area to tackle any further outbreaks.
Several nations answered Cyprus's appeal for help to tackle the wildfire, with Greece, Israel, Italy and the UK providing assistance and firefighting aircraft."It is the worst forest fire in the history of Cyprus," Director of the Department of Forests Charalambos Alexandrou told local television over the weekend. On Sunday, Cyprus's Interior Minister Nicos Mouris confirmed that all four people who died in the fires were Egyptian farm workers.
Their bodies were found about 600m from their burnt-out vehicle near the village of Odos. A local policeman told AFP news agency that it appeared they had fled the vehicle and became trapped by the flames.Meanwhile, police have arrested a 67-year-old man on suspicion of arson. A witness saw a man driving away from the village of Arakapas, north-east of Limassol, at the same time the fire started on Saturday, police said.
