
A picture taken from the village of Vavatsinia in the Larnaca district of Cyprus, shows a giant wildfire raging on the nearby hills, during the night of July 3, 2021 AFP
The four people found dead in Cyprus early Sunday morning as the result of a huge forest fire are Egyptians, according to a statement by Egypt's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The four bodies were still unidentified by Cypriot authorities early on Sunday, but the Egyptian foreign ministry confirmed their identities in an official statement hours later, having contacted the authorities there.
"The Egyptian Embassy in Nicosia learned from the Cypriot authorities that four Egyptian citizens, who were working in Cyprus, were killed as a result of the fires," the statement added.
The blaze, which Cypriot officials described as the "worst and most destructive" in decades, broke out on Saturday morning and is still raging in some areas for the second day.
The victims’ corpses were found close to Odou, a mountainous village in the Larnaca District of Cyprus, according to Reuters.
The Egyptian Embassy in Nicosia said it is in contact with the Cypriot officials to follow up on all related developments.
The bodies of the Egyptian expats will be repatriated once all required measures are finalised, according to the Egyptian statement.
The blaze has caused "loss of life" and destroyed property and forest lands, Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades tweeted.
"The government will provide immediate assistance to the victims and the families of the victims," Anastasiades added.
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