Nicosia, Cyprus. Excavators returned overnight on Thursday to dig pits for the burial of culled animals near residential homes in Kokkinotrimithia, community leader Christakis Meleties told the Cyprus Mail on Friday. Residents resisted the work, which had begun in the afternoon before being paused after protests.
Concerns over health and water supply
Meleties said the excavations were taking place about 150 metres from residential buildings and posed a threat to health and the water supply in the area. “It’s at the beginning of the village and it will affect our boreholes,” he said. As of Friday, no further attempts to continue the excavations had been reported.
Context of culling measures
The excavations are part of ongoing culling measures linked to the outbreak of foot and mouth disease on the island, which has led to the killing of thousands of animals so far.