The scandals surrounding the Agios Nikolaos apartment complex in Paphos continue.
On Wednesday 11 September, a fire broke out in one of the flats in the abandoned building. Fortunately, the fire brigade arrived on the scene and quickly extinguished the fire. No one was injured and a small part of the building burnt down.
Recall that Agios Nikolaos is located in the Chloraka area. The once elite complex was built in the early 90s. For about 20 years it was an example of modernism in the city. But the crisis of 2013 had a major impact on its future. Literally within a few years, the building fell into disrepair. Because many residents didn't pay their bills, the complex's electricity and water were cut off. And in 2021, Agios Nikolaos was declared uninhabitable by a court ruling and turned into a hotbed of crime and a rubbish dump. It was overrun by migrants who regularly tried to connect illegally to the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC) grid. EAC inspectors, accompanied by police officers, carried out repeated checks and stopped the theft of electricity.
According to some reports, 600 people lived in 250 apartments in Agios Nikolaos. Last year, the police carried out a raid which resulted in the eviction of all illegal tenants. As a result of a special operation, law enforcement officers in Cyprus arrested 81 refugees from Africa and Asia. They included 39 men, 17 women and 25 under-age children. At the same time, most of the illegal immigrants had decided to leave the complex the night before, in order to avoid the
Chloraka stretches along the Mediterranean coast from Paphos to the famous Coral Bay beach.
As a typical Cypriot holiday village, it does not boast an abundance of attractions, but this does not prevent it from being considered a great place to relax and live. Chloraka is situated in a fairly high valley, 50 metres above sea level, so that from almost any point in the village there is a beautiful view of the endless expanse of water. This place, like all the villages around Paphos, is full of contrasts. Old and new buildings, Cypriot and international restaurants, a mix of Greek, European and Middle Eastern cultures. People come here to relax in the silence, broken only by the sound of the waves, the rustle of tablecloths on the tables of seaside tavernas and the clinking of coffee cups.