**Limassol and Engomi, Cyprus** – A series of disruptive incidents, including a deliberate explosion and fire in Limassol and two separate vehicle fires in Engomi and Ayia Napa, have punctuated the early days of the week, prompting investigations and raising concerns about public safety and property damage across the island. While authorities are treating one incident as a criminal act, the others appear to stem from unfortunate mechanical or electrical malfunctions.
In the early hours of Tuesday, a forceful explosion shattered the tranquility of Limassol’s Mesa Yeitonia district, targeting the offices of a financial services firm. Shortly after 3 am, unknown assailants detonated a firework device, reportedly augmented with petrol, at the entrance of the company’s premises. The blast caused significant damage to the establishment’s glass facade and sent shockwaves through the surrounding residential areas, with the sound of the explosion reverberating across multiple districts. Limassol CID investigators are treating the incident as an attempted destruction of property using explosive materials, with CCTV footage reportedly capturing at least one suspect. Detectives are exploring potential motives, including business rivalries or other undisclosed grievances that might have precipitated such a brazen act. A bomb expert from the Limassol Police Directorate was dispatched to the scene to assist in the forensic examination.
Meanwhile, in Engomi, the afternoon of Monday saw a more mundane, albeit still concerning, event unfold outside a local car dealership. At approximately 6:40 pm, the fire brigade received a distress call concerning a parked Jeep that had become engulfed in flames. Employees of the dealership, alerted to the conflagration, attempted to quell the blaze using available fire extinguishers before the arrival of emergency services. Two fire engines were deployed to the scene to fully extinguish the fire, which had significantly damaged the front section of the vehicle. Preliminary investigations conducted by the authorities have, thus far, yielded no evidence to suggest malicious intent. The current working hypothesis points towards a mechanical or electrical fault within the Jeep, which had reportedly been experiencing prior mechanical issues, as the likely cause of the fire.
Adding to the week's unsettling events, a car in Ayia Napa was completely destroyed by fire on Monday afternoon. The incident, which occurred shortly before 4 pm in the parking lot of an apartment building, necessitated the intervention of the vehicle's owner and assistance from cooperative neighbours to bring the flames under control. Subsequent examinations by the police, the fire brigade, and the department of electromechanical services strongly indicated that an electrical fault, specifically a short circuit originating in the vehicle's ignition system, was the root cause of the blaze. This finding has effectively ruled out any possibility of arson in this particular case, though the owner is left with the total loss of their vehicle. The company director of a car loan company and the owner of a related car loan company, a foreign national, were reportedly involved in the incident, though their exact role or connection to the destroyed vehicle remains unspecified. These disparate incidents, ranging from deliberate criminality to unfortunate mechanical failures, underscore the diverse challenges faced by law enforcement and emergency services in maintaining order and public safety across Cyprus.