Two lorries crashed on the Nicosia-Limassol motorway on Monday, near the Skarinou exit, closing all lanes in both directions for several hours.

Both drivers, who were seriously injured, were removed from their vehicles and taken to Nicosia General Hospital in ambulances. The 58-year-old driver of the tanker suffered multiple rib and spinal fractures and remains hospitalised, while the 46-year-old driver of the articulated truck sustained multiple leg fractures and is still under medical examination.

By 3:45pm, police confirmed that the Limassol-bound lanes had reopened, allowing traffic to flow again towards the coastal city. The Nicosia-bound side of the motorway, which remained closed for approximately 10 hours due to extensive cleanup operations, has now fully reopened to traffic.

One of the trucks – a tanker – burst into flames after colliding with the stationary articulated trailer, which was parked on the hard shoulder. The tanker overturned, spilling fuel and igniting a fire, while the articulated trailer veered into a ditch, trapping its driver under the trailer’s chassis.

Emergency response teams, including the fire department and disaster response special unit (Emak), were dispatched to the scene. Firefighters successfully extinguished the blaze, and rescue crews freed the trapped driver. The fire service deployed five fire trucks to combat the flames, but no helicopters were used in the operation.

Authorities closed the motorway from Kornos to Skarinou immediately after the accident, which occurred around 11:30am Cleanup crews worked extensively to remove spilled fuel and debris over a 150-metre radius before reopening the road to traffic. Police remain at the scene to manage road safety and urge motorists to exercise caution while driving through the area.

Photo: KitasWeather