Investigators are awaiting laboratory results that could shed light on the causes behind a shocking and still unexplained incident in Larnaca, where a 78-year-old man died and four other people were hospitalised after reportedly consuming water from the same household water dispenser.
The analyses of the water consumed by the deceased and the four other individuals involved in the case are expected to guide detectives from the Larnaca Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in determining what caused the fatal incident. Also under scrutiny is a separate case involving the deceased’s 44-year-old son, who was recently arrested in connection with a drug possession investigation.
Cyprus remains shaken by the mysterious circumstances surrounding the case, which came to light late on Sunday evening, January 4. Police are investigating whether the death of the 78-year-old man, along with the hospitalisation of four relatives and acquaintances, was caused by poisoning linked to water from a specific water cooler located in the victim’s home.
CID officers returned to the scene on Monday to conduct further examinations, joined by members of the Drug Law Enforcement Unit (YKAN). Their involvement is linked to the deceased’s son, who lives in the basement of the property, an area that became a focal point of the investigation. The 44-year-old had been arrested days earlier to facilitate inquiries into a separate case involving possession of drugs.
Investigators have not ruled out the possibility that the water bottle placed in the dispenser may have contained a toxic or narcotic substance.
A post-mortem examination carried out at the Nicosia General Hospital morgue by forensic pathologists Angeliki Papetta and Orthodoxos Orthodoxou failed to determine the cause of death. Samples were taken from the body for further specialised laboratory testing.
Police believe the case will become clearer once the State Chemical Laboratory completes its analysis of the water dispenser, which has been seized as evidence. Investigators expect the results to clarify both the cause of death and the symptoms of poisoning experienced by the other individuals, who remain hospitalised. As of Monday afternoon, when this report went to print, the results of the water analysis had not yet been released.
Various items were also collected from the deceased’s home and from the area where his son resided and sent for scientific examination.
How the incident unfolded
The chain of events began on Saturday, January 3, when the 73-year-old wife of the deceased replaced the water bottle in the dispenser and prepared lemonade. Shortly afterwards, she felt unwell and was taken by her husband to Larnaca General Hospital, where she was admitted in serious condition.
The 78-year-old man, who had also consumed lemonade made with water from the same dispenser, returned home. Several hours later, he was found dead by a relative. Police officers who arrived at the scene observed no external injuries, and at that stage there were no clear indications of what had occurred. Given his medical history, the death was initially treated as sudden.
The situation took a dramatic turn on Sunday afternoon, when relatives gathered at the man’s home following his death. During the visit, the deceased’s sister, niece and a 78-year-old neighbour all felt unwell and experienced fainting symptoms. All three were taken to Larnaca General Hospital for treatment.
Their condition is described as stable and out of danger. Antidotes were administered as a precaution against possible poisoning. The neighbour’s condition was considered more serious and required intubation, although signs of improvement have since been reported.
Police investigations indicate that all those affected had consumed water from the same dispenser.
Drug-related angle under investigation
CID investigators are expected to question the deceased’s son, who remains in custody in connection with the separate drug case. All possibilities regarding the cause of death remain open pending the official findings from the State Chemical Laboratory.
The investigation aims to determine whether any substance was present in the water bottle and whether it is linked to the health incidents involving the hospitalised individuals. The deceased’s son was arrested on December 28, along with another individual, following a YKAN operation relating to the possession of illegal narcotic substances in liquid form.
The case remains under active investigation.