The Forestry Department has assured the public that Konnos Beach is not a repeat of the conditions of the Mati area in Greece’s Attica where dozens died last week trying to flee a devastating fire.
The assurance was given by Forestry Department head Charalambos Alexandrou who told Phileleftheros that the public should not be concerned about their safety.
His comments followed a warning from Paralimni mayor Theodors Pirillis that Konnos beach faced a fire hazard because access was only through one, narrow road through a wood.
Alexandrou said that his department has been in contact with Paralimni Municipality to discuss the issue of the road leading to the beach, with a new meeting scheduled for September to discuss how to extend the road so as to improve access.
An other idea is to put in a small train and stop cars accessing the beach altogether.
He would not comment directly on the mayor’s remarks. But Alexandrou said in order to avoid possible fire risks, the Forestry Department has created 29Â fire hoses in the wood. He added that the steep incline does not facilitate the rapid spread of a fire towards the beach.
Citing the latest dramatic events that took place in eastern Attica, Pirillis had said Konnos Beach shares many similarities with the beaches there and warned that in the event of a fire hazard, due to the dense vegetation of the area, visitors could become trapped because of the absence of an alternative escape route.
Read more
https://in-cyprus.com/news/local/paralimni-mayor-warns-of-safety-problems-at-konnos-beach/
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