Lethal fire and the responsibilities of the state

The Cyprus Third Age Observatory expresses deep sorrow and outrage over the tragic events that unfolded during the devastating wildfire in the Limassol District.

The discovery of two citizens dead in a burned vehicle has once again led Cyprus to mourn lives lost due to a lack of prevention and state inaction. At the same time, we want to express our gratitude to the firefighters and volunteers who made extraordinary efforts to extinguish the fires. These individuals, without regard for their safety, rescued people in immediate danger.

It is unacceptable, in 2025, for people to lose their lives most horrifically because:

• There is no mapping of vulnerable citizens.

• No plan exists for how and by whom neighborhoods and communities with older people, individuals with Alzheimer’s, mobility issues, or chronic illnesses will be evacuated.

• And most importantly, because the State is absent.

The Cyprus Third Age Observatory DEMANDS:

1. Immediate national mapping of vulnerable citizens by neighborhood and community. Authorities must identify precisely who is most at risk to develop emergency plans in coordination with all relevant ministries and services. This list must be available and actively used by District Administrations, Local Authorities, Civil Defense, the Fire Department, and other relevant services.

   
   

2. The universal responsibility of the State is to protect life and property. Protection cannot exist without preventive evacuation plans, especially for individuals who are unable to escape on their own. Leaving this responsibility to them or their families is a social crime.

   
   

3. Legal protection for vulnerable groups during natural disasters. The State must be legally obliged to ensure the safe transport and shelter of the elderly and vulnerable in emergencies before the fire reaches their doorsteps.

   
   

4. Public accountability and transparency. The Observatory demands to know: Who failed to act? Who is responsible for operational planning? When were authorities notified? What measures were taken? And who was left to their fate?

This tragedy is not a natural phenomenon. It is the result of state inaction at all levels.

«It is unacceptable to mourn lives, property, and forestland every year without anything changing. The people who died the other day were elderly — tomorrow, it could be citizens of any age. The State should have located, protected, and rescued them. It did not.» Demos Antoniou, President of the Cyprus Third Age Observatory

he Cyprus Third Age Observatory CALLS ON:

1. The President of the Republic is to take the initiative to institutionalize the mapping and protection of vulnerable groups and to assign responsibility to those accountable for the disastrous fire.

   
   

2. The Ministries of Health, Interior, Justice and Public Order, Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, and the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare are to cooperate on a national plan for the prevention and protection of vulnerable groups.

   
   

3. Citizens and communities should demand safety for their homes, for their elderly neighbors, and for their children.

Prevention is the duty of the State — it must not rely on the goodwill of citizens and volunteers.