Prominent businessman Andreas Papaellinas will donate €500,000 to support the people affected by the weekend fire that reached seven communities in the mountainous areas of Limassol and Larnaca, he announced on Monday.

Papaellinas, chairman of the board of Alphamega supermarkets, expressed his “shock at the tragic consequences of the catastrophic fire.

“The consequences are undoubtedly unbearable for the region and Cyprus as a whole,” he said in a written statement.

He said that, wanting to support “our affected fellow citizens and their families” he considered it appropriate to offer directly to them the amount of €500,000 for their immediate relief.

“The way of allocating the financial aid will be arranged within the next few days,” it was announced.

“In these difficult times, the unity of our people is paramount to overcome the consequences of the catastrophe and to support our fellow citizens who are struggling,” the statement said.