In phase recession The fiery fronts enter the mountainous Limassol, after more than forty hours of destructive fires that left two dead, dozens of injured and a society immersed in shock. The disaster recorded by the flames exceeds any previous one, with over 124 square kilometers turning to ash, a large loss of animal capital, while more than 100 houses and assets have been destroyed.

Social shock and requests for accountability

The next day finds the Cypriot society looking for answers and responsibilities For the facts. The Cypriot media are constantly promoting the voice of the firefighters, who speak of *”incomplete information and operational oligarchy” *. At the same time, journalists and commentators strongly criticize the government, recalling the statements of official spokesman Konstantinos Letibiotis, who had just argued last June that Cyprus was entering this year’s firefighter *”more prepared and reinforced”.

Serious complaints about deficiency in state mechanism

Among the first estimates, central is the absence of an operating system timely warning For evacuations. Despite the official announcements, the country has no SMS shipping mechanism to inform citizens in cases of dangerous situations. In addition, continuous complaints about inertia They turn both to the Civil Defense-the Department responsible for the coordination of Civil Protection actions-as well as the relevant ministries, as a failure is evident in the timely and complete informing of citizens who were exposed to the fiery storm.

At the same time, mayors from the affected areas are denouncing a delay in mobilizing the Fire Service as well as a lack of coordination between the forestry units and the official authorities.

Government answer and discussion of responsibility

On the government’s side, the government spokesman was called upon to respond to his previous statements, stressing that *”from the first moment all the designs and protocols were activated” *. He cited extreme weather conditions – high temperatures, strong winds, prolonged drought – which made the task of dealing with the fire extremely difficult. *”Now is not the time to perform responsibility”*, the Minister of Justice, Marios Hartsiotis, pointed out annoyed, implying that the management of the consequences and the rehabilitation of the affected areas is the priority.