Frame by frame, an amateur camera captured the moment lightning struck a palm tree in the Paphos district, causing it to burst into flames.
READ ALSO: Firefighters Are Racing but Can’t Keep Up: Basements Flooded, Drains Blocked, and Trees Fell
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According to eyewitnesses, employees from a nearby business rushed to put out the fire, while the Fire Department was also alerted.
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READ ALSO: Six tourists were stranded in the Avakas Gorge due to bad weather
Meanwhile, according to a statement from the Fire Department, as of this hour, the weather conditions have affected the Paphos district, with Fire Department crews responding to a number of calls regarding blocked storm drains, pumping water from flooded basements, and a fallen tree. The calls came from the areas of Pegeia, Polemi, and Polis Chrysochous. EOA crews are also working to clear storm drains on flooded streets.
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Meanwhile, power outages were reported in several areas of the Paphos district due to the severe weather. According to EAC Press Spokesperson Christina Papadopoulou, efforts are underway to restore power as quickly as possible in various areas of the district where outages occurred due to weather conditions.
In statements to KYPE, Ms. Papadopoulou reported that a power outage occurred in Akoursos at 4:24 p.m., in Pano Arodes at 3:03 p.m., in the community of Ineia at 3:06 p.m., in Kathika at 3:06 p.m., and in part of the Pegeia area at 3:19 p.m. As he explained, due to the severe weather, starting around 2:30 p.m., there was one major outage, as well as several smaller ones, localized outages, which may have been caused by lightning strikes or branches falling onto EAC power lines due to strong winds.
According to Ms. Papadopoulou, EAC crews have been on the scene from the very beginning, working to resolve the issues. As she noted, the delay in restoring power is due to the distances the crews must travel to get from one location to another. The major power outage in Pegeia, however, has been repaired.
SEE ALSO: Fire Department Races but Can’t Keep Up: Basements Flooded, Drains Blocked, and Trees Fell
Furthermore, due to the severe weather conditions, six tourists who were in the Avakas Gorge were cut off by the raging waters and were unable to return to Paphos. Members of the Pegeia Police Station had to intervene to rescue them.
