The first fatal road accident of 2026 occurred in Paphos

A 32-year-old man tragically died in the village of Pentalia in the Paphos district — this is the first fatal road traffic accident in Cyprus in 2026.

According to police, the man went to a rural area together with a 35-year-old friend to train hunting dogs. Due to adverse weather conditions, in particular heavy rain, the trip ended in tragedy.

At some point, the friend of the deceased got out of the car with the dogs, while the 32-year-old driver decided to move the vehicle to another location and return for them later. He was alone in the car. At around 8:50 a.m., the vehicle was traveling along a narrow dirt road connecting the villages of Pentalia and Amargeti when the wet ground gave way — the soil collapsed and the car plunged into a ravine. The driver sustained fatal injuries.

Police and firefighters quickly arrived at the scene. The man was extracted from the vehicle and transported to Paphos General Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead. The circumstances and exact causes of the accident continue to be investigated by the Paphos traffic police. Authorities do not rule out that weather conditions and unstable ground played a decisive role.