Amathounta mayor Kyriakos Xydias has called for urgent legal changes and stronger powers for authorities after the collapse of an apartment block in Germasogeia last Saturday, as property developers also urged immediate action to tackle unsafe buildings.
The collapse occurred shortly before 1:30pm on Holy Saturday when part of a residential building gave way in the Potamos Germasogeias area of Limassol, triggering a large-scale emergency response. Two people were killed and others injured, while rescue teams searched the rubble for trapped residents.
Authorities said the building had previously been classified as dangerous, with warnings issued over structural concerns before the incident.
Xydias said the focus should be on addressing the causes of such incidents and preventing further loss of life.
He urged investigators to examine whether internal renovation works may have altered the building’s structural elements and contributed to the collapse.
He said eight other apartment blocks had been deemed dangerous during his time as mayor, before the local government reform, by the then Germasogeia municipality.
The owners of the collapsed building received their first warning letter in 2017, while after responsibility passed to the Limassol District Local Government Organisation on April 1, 2025, authorities were informed that nine apartment blocks had been classified as dangerous, he added.
“The discussion should focus on our inability to enforce,” Xydias said, adding that existing legislation requires time-consuming and costly procedures that should be simplified.
He said older buildings have become dangerous over time, while some owners fail to act because they do not fear liability and focus on rental income, “usually cramming migrants into these apartment blocks”.
He said the priority is to identify the causes and introduce solutions, including legislation to establish a register of apartment buildings and regular inspections.
Xydias said owners who fail to evacuate dangerous buildings should face immediate criminal liability, while authorities should be able to cut electricity and water without lengthy court procedures.
“I am putting forward for investigation the issue that, while they knew about the danger, owners appear to have gone ahead with internal renovation and unauthorised works that seem to have worsened the situation and may also have caused the collapse,” he said.
Separately, the Cyprus Property Developers Association expressed “deep sorrow” over the incident and said it highlighted the urgent need to address dangerous buildings across the country.
The association called for immediate and mandatory measures, including systematic inspections, stricter compliance mechanisms and the evacuation of unsafe buildings.
It said current measures are not sufficient and called for a more effective framework focused on prevention.
The association also urged the swift adoption of the 2023 law on jointly owned buildings, saying only a clear and enforceable framework can address poor maintenance and prevent similar incidents.
Xydias said he had spoken with the interior minister and the Union of Municipalities in an effort to establish the causes and move quickly to amend the law so authorities can act effectively and owners and engineers are held accountable.
“We must focus on saving the next victims, because if we do not take measures this tragedy will be repeated,” he said.
He added that in Germany, if a building is declared dangerous and not evacuated by the next day, the owner is arrested and police remove tenants and seal the building.
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