The Larnaca District Local Government Organisation has issued an immediate evacuation order for a 24-apartment residential complex in the Agios Nikolaos parish after the building was deemed structurally unsafe and at risk of collapse.
Angelos Hadjicharalambous, the president of the Larnaca District Local Government Organisation, confirmed that Larnaca Municipality had previously issued three separate warnings over the past decade regarding the hazardous condition of the Madona Court complex. Notifications instructing property owners to undertake necessary structural repairs were sent in 2016, 2022 and 2024, but no remedial action was taken.
Official evacuation notices were posted on the building on Wednesday, giving the Cypriot and foreign tenants until Saturday to vacate the property.
Legal action and penalties
The evacuation notice states that due to severe and immediate risks to the safety and physical integrity of both residents and neighbours, all occupants must vacate the interior premises without delay. Hadjicharalambous placed the responsibility for the crisis entirely on the property owners, noting that the building poses both structural and public health risks.
While some apartment owners have complied and sought guidance on restoration procedures, others face strict administrative fines and legal intervention if they fail to remove tenants. Hadjicharalambous warned that the local authority will apply for court eviction orders if any residents refuse to leave, adding that if such orders are not approved, the responsibility will lie with the court system.
Wider inspection campaign
Arrangements for the temporary accommodation of displaced residents have been made in cooperation with Larnaca Municipality and the Ministry of Interior, with hotel rooms secured for those affected.
A second apartment block located in the Chryso politissa parish has also been declared dangerous, with evacuation notices scheduled to be posted on Friday or Monday. Local authorities have expanded their structural assessment campaign, with inspections currently underway on a further 22 buildings across the Larnaca district to determine their stability.
