Our priority right now is to evaluate the damage and to provide temporary accommodation in a hotel of those affected by the whirlwinds of the early morning hours in the area of Yermasogeia, in Limassol district, Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou said, following a meeting at the town hall.

The Minister along with Mayor Kyriakos Xidias visited after the meeting the affected areas. The Minister assured that if compensation can be given and all criteria are met, the state will be by the citizens’ side.

He said that there is not yet an exact number of damaged properties, and pointed out that what is important is that all roads have been cleaned and the Electricity Authority has assured them that the entire supply will be restored soon.

Teams from both the Municipality and the District Office are cleaning the areas and are evaluating the damage, the Minister said.

He added that those who cannot stay in their homes due to the damage recorded, have been given contact numbers for assistance and a hotel has been found for their accommodation. He thanked the Mayor and all services for their prompt response.

Mayor Kyriakos Xidias thanked all the services that rushed for assistance at 3.30 this morning (local time) and added that apart from a few problems that remain in some areas, the electricity is being restored, damage is assessed and assistance to citizens is provided.

Replying to a question about how many residents will need to stay at a hotel, he said that 5-6 homes have been affected and that he has talked to the residents, saying that they want to set up their space and stay there.