Limassol block evacuated after balcony collapse, 56 flats cleared
A fifth-floor balcony in a Limassol complex fell onto the one below on Thursday, prompting authorities to evacuate all 56 apartments in the building.
Authorities continued on Friday to investigate how a fifth-floor balcony in a Limassol apartment block collapsed onto the balcony beneath it, as reported by Cyprus Mail. The incident led Civil Defence to evacuate all 56 apartments in the building the previous day.
The building is part of the Rousos Olympic Palace complex, on the corner of Georgios Katsounotos and Christodoulos Hadjipavlou streets. The balcony gave way at around 10am on Thursday. No injuries were reported.
Limassol EOA chairman Yiannis Tsouloftas told the Cyprus News Agency that a balcony had already crumbled in the same building back in 2022. Following Thursday's collapse, the EOA worked with Civil Defence to clear the building, acting on an order from the interior ministry. Tenants were moved to alternative accommodation for "a couple of days".
According to Tsouloftas, apartment owners must now appoint a civil engineer to carry out repairs and make the building safe again. The property had already been flagged as dangerous, and a solicitor's office had been assigned to proceed with evacuation orders.
The complex has two blocks: 38 flats in Block A and 18 in Block B, where the balcony fell. There are currently around 1,100 dangerous buildings listed in Limassol. In June, a block of flats in the city was evacuated after two balconies collapsed onto the street below. Earlier this month, the Cyprus property developers' association called for regular technical inspections of buildings and for faster legislation on dangerous buildings, saying "there is no longer any room for further delays".
What it means for residents
The evacuation highlights how quickly life can be disrupted for owners and tenants in a building officially classed as dangerous. Repair costs and relocation fall largely on owners, while tenants face sudden moves with little notice.
- Check your building's status. If your block is on Limassol's dangerous buildings list, ask your management committee what engineering assessments exist and whether evacuation orders are pending.
- Owners should plan for costs. Appointing a civil engineer and carrying out structural repairs is a private expense, so budgeting and coordination among flat owners matters.
- Keep documents ready. Tenants asked to leave at short notice should hold onto their rental agreements and receipts for temporary accommodation.
This text is written from the source article and is not a translation of it.
