Investigation over Russian cultural centre fire ‘will be difficult’

Authorities on Thursday said investigations were underway over the fire at the Russian cultural centre in Nicosia a day earlier.

Police spokesman Christos Andreou told the Cyprus News Agencies there was no indication or witnesses that pointed towards a Molotov bomb.

Nonetheless, officers have cordoned off the area and it is being guarded until Friday, where members of the police force and fire services will carry out investigations to uncover how the raging fire began.

The fire broke out around 1:45pm and was under control shortly after 3pm on Wednesday. Seven fire trucks had gone to the scene to put out the blaze.

Meanwhile, spokesman for the fire services Andreas Kettis said they would be on the scene to examine the cause of the flames along with police.

“It is a difficult investigation due to the intensity of the fire.”

If any help is required from any other state service, this will be duly requested, Kettis added.

The Russian cultural centre was being renovated and has suffered extensive damage both in its interior and exterior.

Eyewitnesses reported a loud bang ahead of the blaze that engulfed the building, while a Russian official described the incident as a terror attack.

According to Reuters, Russian News Agency TASS reported that Yevgeny Primakov, head of Rossotrudnichestvo, the Russian government’s cultural promotion agency, said foul play was clearly responsible.

“We qualify this as a terrorist attack since it is an attack on a civilian, peaceful building, clearly with the aim of not only causing damage, but also intimidating both our employees and the people who come to this cultural centre,” it cited him as telling the Russia-24 TV channel.