Extent of damage from Cyprus wildfires becoming clear as blazes brought under control

Mourning for an elderly couple who were killed as the gird operator works to restore electricity in affected areas.

As firefighting forces in Cyprus remain on high alert for any additional flare-ups along the wildfire's front, the devastation from the blaze that claimed two lives is starting to become clearer. Around 125 square kilometres of greenery were reduced to ashes in the mountainous Limassol region, according to data from the European Space Agency's (ESA) WorldCover Programme. Roughly 50% of the total burnt area is grassland, 31% hardwood vegetation, 16% tree cover and 1.3% residential.The wildfires claimed the lives of two people, a 77-year-old woman and her 84-year-old husband, who were found dead in their car. They had become trapped by the blaze after trying to escape their home in the village of Monagri. Two people had previously been reported missing and local authorities are investigating whether the missing persons correspond with the couple found in the car. Meanwhile, seven other people are receiving treatment in state hospitals, two of whom were seriously injured but are now in stable condition. Five others are expected to be discharged soon.Response to request for help from 10 countries Ten countries responded to Cyprus' request for international assistance to help extinguish the fire, Agriculture Minister Maria Panagiotou said, including Jordan, Israel and Spain who sent aircraft on Thursday. Greece is sending 26 forestry workers who are specialised in handling resurgent fires.Meanwhile, 17 areas remain without power as the fire burnt much of the electricity infrastructure. Regarding civilian infrastructure, 43 houses were completely destroyed by fire while another 29 were severely damaged.The Cypriot government announced that it will cover 100% of the damage to the properties of the affected people.