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Charalambos Pittokopitis, the newly elected President of the Paphos District Organisation, described a wildfire engulfing a large area of Paphos as a “tragedy.”
Pittokopitis said he visited the firefront, and then spoke via telephone with the Director of the Department of Forests, Savvas Iezekiel, who was been in Larnaca.
He questioned why the Director, an experienced firefighting professional, was at the Crisis Management Centre in Larnaca instead of being on the scene.
He added that he contacted the General Director of the Ministry of Agriculture, who was in Crete and requested the immediate transfer of Iezekiel, to the fire zone.
Pittokopitis expressed confidence in Iezekiel’s expertise and ability to contribute significantly.
Pittokopitis also raised concerns that not all aerial firefighting resources were deployed due to a lack of trained personnel. He called this “negligence” in light of the summer drought and heatwaves, and said those responsible must be held accountable.
There were no reported injuries as of the time of his statement. Pittokopitis said the focus remained on extinguishing the fire, with damage assessments to homes, buildings, and animals to follow later.
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