More details have emerged of the tragic fate of two Egyptian men, aged 28 and 42, who were found dead in a downstairs office room in Episkopi, Limassol.
The building is managed by a private company where one of the men was employed.
Their bodies were found on Wednesday by a company employee searching for the 28-year-old, who had failed to answer his mobile phone.
Following the phone’s sound to the room, the employee found the men lifeless on air mattresses in a room filled with smoke and immediately called the authorities.
“This morning at around 8 a.m., the Police were informed that two people had been found dead in a company building in a village in western Limassol,” said Lefteris Kyriakou, Head of Limassol TAE. “An ambulance was immediately called to the scene, and initial examinations determined that they had no vital signs. The scene was cordoned off, and members of the Limassol Emergency Medical Services and the local police station visited for examinations.”
Investigations suggest the men were cooking with a charcoal grill on the balcony but later moved it indoors, despite having air conditioning and an electric heater available.
“As revealed by the examinations, there was a lit charcoal fire inside the room and according to the person who found them, when he opened the door to the room there was smoke,” Kyriakou added.
Chief Fire Officer Nikos Longinos emphasized the importance of preventive measures: “We didn’t have to take any action. You see, there was no fire, there was only smoke. We should take preventive measures ourselves, we should protect ourselves. Incidents happen where lives are lost unjustly, and this should be taken into account; many incidents happen because people believe that it will not happen to them.”
The 28-year-old had previously stayed in the room, which doubles as the company’s office.
The 42-year-old was reportedly living in Cyprus without a residence permit.
Authorities are gathering evidence, and a formal autopsy will be conducted to determine the exact cause of death.