Limassol was plunged into a state of alarm yesterday evening as a series of disturbing violent incidents and accidents unfolded across the city, leaving multiple individuals seriously injured and prompting widespread police investigations. From a brutal stabbing in the heart of the shopping district to a hit-and-run involving a toddler, the events underscore a worrying escalation in crime and disregard for public safety.
The most severe incident occurred on Wednesday evening, around 7:00 PM, in the bustling Anexartisias shopping district. Limassol CID investigators are currently piecing together the events that led to a 36-year-old man being critically wounded outside a local coffee shop. According to preliminary reports, the victim was set upon by three assailants. While two attackers reportedly employed Taser-like stun devices, a third individual inflicted a stab wound to the victim’s left shoulder blade with a sharp implement. The motive behind this brazen assault remains elusive, and authorities have issued an arrest warrant for a 30-year-old foreign national, identified as a barbershop owner, while continuing their pursuit of the other perpetrators.
Adding to the city’s woes, a drunk driving incident on Sunday afternoon resulted in a pedestrian sustaining severe injuries. Around 3:00 PM, a 49-year-old Greek Cypriot man, driving under the influence, collided with a 47-year-old foreign national on Misiaouli and Kavazoglou Street. Subsequent breathalyser tests revealed the driver’s alcohol level to be a staggering 93 mg%, significantly exceeding the legal limit of 22 mg% – more than four times the permissible threshold. The injured pedestrian has been hospitalised with fractured ribs. The driver was apprehended by traffic officers at the scene.
Further compounding the distress, a young child became the victim of a hit-and-run incident on Saturday evening. At approximately 7:30 PM, an unidentified individual riding an electric scooter collided with a two-year-old girl on the Poseidonos Avenue coastal walkway in Kato Paphos. While the child sustained only minor injuries and was taken to hospital as a precautionary measure, the scooter rider callously fled the scene, leaving the distressed parents to contend with the aftermath. Police are actively seeking to identify and locate the individual responsible for this reckless act.
In a separate incident, the Morphou Criminal Investigation Department is investigating a home invasion that occurred yesterday afternoon, between 5:00 PM and 6:20 PM, in the Nicosia district. An 85-year-old man, the homeowner, was subjected to a violent intrusion. An unidentified individual forced entry into the residence, assaulted the elderly resident, and made off with an undisclosed sum of cash. The victim sustained grievous bodily harm, including a fractured skull, broken ribs, head lacerations, and significant swelling and bruising around one eye. He remains under medical care. This incident is being treated as a robbery involving serious assault and unlawful entry.
The confluence of these violent acts has understandably heightened concerns within the community regarding public safety. Authorities are urging vigilance and appealing to the public for any information that could assist in the ongoing investigations. The swift apprehension of those responsible for these deplorable acts is paramount to restoring a sense of security in Limassol and its surrounding areas.