Five failures in battling the blaze across the Solea region in Cyprus over the summer were highlighted in a report by the independent committee of specialists, which researched the organisation of authorities, Sigma TV reported on Saturday.
The wildfire, which raged across the Troodos Mountains for several days in June, left behind dead, injured, and large swathes of damage to the forest.
The report by the committee has noted five mistakes, which led to the difficulty in putting out the blaze.
The five points are:
- 1. The fire was caused by human error
- 2. There were delays in locating the fire
- 3. Delays in dealing with the blaze
- 4. Delayed action of authorities and aerial means to extinguish the flames
- 5. There were not enough easy structures to extinguish the fire, some of which included difficult pathways through the forest roads, and fire retardants.
The findings of the committee, which was set out by President Nicos Anastasiades, and was revealed in Phileleftheros newspaper, have suggested the need to reorganise, Sigma reported.
In relation to the report, Agriculture Minister Nicos Kouyialis told Sigma TV that if mistakes were made than those responsible will be dealt with accordingly.
Kouyialis has said that he has seen the report of the specialists and the media reports that have been circulating.
He added that report needs to be study by the ministerial committee, to determine if mistakes were made. Kouyialis also said that in 2018 the entirety of the fire services will be renewed.
Read more here.
RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report
