The deaths of 16-year-old Christos Panayi and 20-year-old George Theofanous have been confirmed following post-mortem examinations carried out on Thursday. Both young men were killed in separate fatal traffic accidents that occurred late on Wednesday evening in Larnaca and Nicosia.

For Christos Panayi, the post-mortem revealed that his death was caused by severe traumatic brain injury, resulting from a road traffic accident. Authorities are continuing to investigate whether the teenager was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash. A helmet was found at the scene, but it has not yet been confirmed whether Christos was wearing it or carrying it.

Investigations are also underway to determine the ownership of the scooter he was riding, as it was found without registration plates. Police have requested assistance from the relevant services to identify the owner and gather further statements.

The accident occurred around 10.30pm when Christos, a student from the Ayios Nikolaos district of Larnaca, was riding his scooter along the Evksinou Pontou street in Livadia. For reasons still under investigation, he lost control of the vehicle, crashed into the pavement and then struck a signpost.

The impact caused fatal injuries, and he was transported by ambulance to Larnaca general hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead.

It has been revealed that the young student was on his way home after attending a football match at Antonis Papadopoulos stadium between Anorthosis and Apollon, before visiting a cafe in Livadia with friends.

In Nicosia, the postmortem on George Theofanous revealed that his death was due to severe head injuries and multiple bodily fractures, sustained in a separate traffic accident. Investigators are focusing on locating the driver of another vehicle that George had overtaken moments before colliding with a car driven by a 64-year-old man.

The fatal accident occurred around 7.10pm in the Lakatamia area when George, riding his motorcycle, collided with the 64-year-old’s car, which was traveling in the opposite direction. Both drivers were rushed to Nicosia general hospital by ambulance, where George’s death was also confirmed.

The older driver was treated for his injuries and later discharged. The police are still investigating the circumstances of the crash. At present, the only witness to the incident is the 64-year-old driver. Authorities have called for any members of the public with information about the incident to come forward. Anyone who knows anything regarding the accident is urged to contact Nicosia’s traffic police or the nearest police station, or to call the citizens’ line at 1460.

Preliminary investigations show that George was wearing a protective helmet.