The “DIPA” apartment building in Larnaca as extremely dangerous by the Larnaca District Local Government Organization, which issued an official order for the immediate evacuation of the building, as it exhibits extremely serious structural problems, with pronounced signs of deterioration on walls and columns, posing immediate safety risks to tenants and passersby.
Notices were served to the dozens of residents and businesses housed there, giving them only a few days to fully evacuate, prompting strong reactions and outrage among those affected due to the short timeframe. The EOA refutes the owners’ claims, stating that since 2018, letters had been sent to the owners and the management committee, requesting that measures be taken to address the safety hazard.
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The Alpha Kalimera TV show and journalist Eleni Fanari conducted an on-site inspection. The DIPA apartment building, located on Grigoris Afxentiou Avenue in Larnaca, consists of apartments and commercial spaces.
However, the signs posted on the building indicate the date October 9, 2026, at 9:50 a.m.
The building manager, Maria Lazaridou, states that she has been managing the building since 2020 and is asking the EOA to inform her when, a letter was sent during that time, as she herself has not received any notification.
She notes that renovations costing millions of euros have recently been carried out within the apartment building; specifically, a new EAC substation was constructed, a project that was completed three months ago.
“How is it possible that a building, which has been deemed unfit for habitation since 2018, would have the electric company come in and build a new substation? Just two weeks ago, an apartment there was sold for over 200,000 euros. Why didn’t the Land Registry stop this since the apartment building is unfit for habitation? Why?”
And he emphasizes that while they are searching for the plans to proceed with repairs, the EOA is ordering the building’s evacuation.
“For the past six months, we’ve sent emails, letters—everything—to City Hall to try to find the building’s plans. This apartment building is the first one built in Larnaca by Dimitriou and Paraskevaidis. Two weeks ago, they sent us the plans so that we could hire architects and engineers to proceed with the specific work. “We had just received the plans when, two weeks later, they came to shut down the apartment building.”
He points out that there is a problem with the apartment building’s bridges, which have been cordoned off, locked, and fenced off from below.
He wonders why they don’t point out the problems they’ve identified so that the necessary work can be done.
“It’s unacceptable for them to show up on Friday morning at 10 o’clock and post a notice ordering the building to be evacuated within three days. Are we serious? We’re talking about 400 people. That’s about 65 apartments and 8–9 stores.”
He notes that pensioners, those on low pensions, and the elderly live there, and there are also businesses.
