NICOSIA, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- At least two tornados wreaked havoc in Cyprus's southern port city of Limassol in the early hours of Wednesday.
According to local authorities, the tornados ripped off roofs of houses, downed a building crane, threw several rooftop photovoltaic installations into the streets and uprooted electricity poles.
Describing the damage as "massive and unprecedented," the mayor of Germasoyeia, Kyriakos Xydias, said "we were spared deaths or massive injuries only because there were no people in the streets at the time."
Xydias said Germasoyeia, a tourist area of Limassol, was hardest hit, where several roads were closed as debris was scattered along the Nicosia-Limassol highway and the 12-km esplanade.
"Over 50 premises were affected, five homes became uninhabitable, one person was injured from shattered glass and 20 roads had been closed. The damage is massive and unprecedented," Xydias told state broadcaster CYBC.
An Electricity Authority (EAC) spokeswoman has said its medium- and low-voltage electricity network was damaged and maintenance workers are replacing poles and cables in the affected areas.
Interior Minister Konstantinos Ioannou, who has visited the area, said that temporary accommodations and other help were offered for people affected by the extreme weather. ■