A CY-Alert delay occurred during Monday’s wildfire in Kalo Chorio, Larnaca, with Civil Defence confirming that a technical issue affected the emergency notification system.
The wildfire impacted the communities of Kalo Chorio, Agia Anna and Psevdas, with Civil Defence assisting in the evacuation process based on instructions from the operation commander and under the provisions of the “Polyvios” plan.
Evacuation operation activated
According to the announcement, Civil Defence was informed at around 15:00 about the need for the precautionary evacuation of Agia Anna and Psevdas.
The service immediately activated the “Polyvios” plan, initially mobilising the community leaders of the two areas to inform residents through their available communication channels.
At the same time, Civil Defence sent first responders, liaison officers and the Director of the Larnaca Regional Civil Defence Directorate to the affected communities.
42 personnel assisted operation
The Operations Control Team of the General Administration of Civil Defence was also activated, led by the Deputy Civil Defence Commander, along with the regional directorates of Larnaca, Limassol and Nicosia.
A total of 42 Civil Defence members and volunteers travelled to the area, assisting with the evacuations of Agia Anna and Psevdas and organising a temporary accommodation centre in Mosfiloti.
Preparations carried out before wildfire
Civil Defence said that, in the period before the incident, field visits had been carried out in all communities as part of preparations to strengthen emergency response readiness.
In cooperation with local community councils, the “Polyvios” plan was updated based on the specific needs of each area.
Evacuation exercises were also carried out across all districts.
Technical issue under investigation
Civil Defence said that although previous CY-Alert test notifications had been successfully delivered, a technical issue occurred during Monday’s incident, resulting in a delay in sending the warning.
The issue is currently being addressed by the contractor’s technical teams, in accordance with the obligations set out in the relevant contract.
Also read: Residents of Kalo Chorio demand relocation of firing range
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