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/ Questions raised over Paphos carnage
/
THE ATHENS earthquake and the out-of-control truck which caused the death
of five people, including two children, in Paphos dominated yesterday's
front pages.
Simerini, under the headline "Massacre in
Paphos", described how the "crazy truck" veered out of control at Mesoyi
village, hit five cars and capsized in the centre of Paphos, killing five
people and leaving another seven seriously injured.
The driver was a one-eyed Turkish Cypriot who had lost control of the truck
as a result of a problem with the brakes. The Turkish Cypriot, who was
seriously injured, had lost his eye in a car accident a year ago, the paper
said.
_Phileleftheros
_ said there were fears the death toll from the bizarre crash were set to
rise. The main question was why the driver, who had lost his eye recently,
did not drive the truck into the fields on the side of the road in order to
save lives. It appeared that the brakes had overheated and were not working
and because the road was downhill the truck, which weighed five tons,
gained speed.
_Politis
_ reported that the extent of the damage caused to the north-western
suburbs of Athens by Tuesday's earthquake had been revealed. Rescue teams
had stepped up their efforts to dig up survivors from under the ruins,
knowing that they had to race against time. Some of their efforts were
successful, making even "the hardened firemen" cry with joy.
_Alithia
_ said that the permanent committee for the evaluation of earthquake danger
had unanimously agreed that Tuesday's earthquake was the main one. The
committee also said that the scale of the quake was the biggest expected
for the area. It added that the after-shocks were following the normal
pattern, implying that the danger was now over.
_Haravghi
_ reported that "moving scenes were unfolding until late into the night in
the quake-stricken areas of Athens" as rescue teams tried free survivors
under the ruins. By last night, 120 people had been rescued from the ruins,
and rescue teams had also established contact with three people buried
under the ruins of the Rikomex factory.
_Phileleftheros
_ claimed that police had found a man who had witnessed last Saturday's
anti-tank missile murder attempt against a cabaret-owner in Limassol. The
key witness allegedly saw the two men who had brought the two missiles to
the would-be assassin. The two culprits had seen the man and threatened to
kill him if he said anything to the police, the paper claimed.
_Machi
_ reported that Disy had emerged "strong and united" from the meeting of
its supreme council, which showed that everyone's objective was the
strengthening of the party as well as the bolstering of the government.
Even the dissident deputies toed the party line, it said. Any suggestions
about a change in the policies of President Clerides in the handling of the
Cyprus problem and of defence were laid to rest by the speeches of the
foreign and defence ministers, the paper said.
_Simerini
_ reported that Rauf Denktash was "provocatively" announcing that he would
not attend peace talks with President Clerides, even if he was invited by
the UN Secretary-General. "A national decision" had already been taken by
Turkey's Grand National Assembly, he said.
_Politis
_ said that of the 18 schools in the Limassol district that had suffered
damage from the August 11 earthquake, 17 had been repaired. The one that is
not fit to be used had suffered extensive damage during the quake.
© Copyright Cyprus Mail 1999
