Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 11-07-11

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From: The Cyprus News Agency at <http://www.cyna.org.cy>

CONTENTS

[01] NAVAL BASE - EXPLOSION

[02] POWER PLANT - DAMAGE

[03] NAVAL BASE - SEARCHES

[01] NAVAL BASE - EXPLOSION

At least 12 people were killed, five firemen, four National Guard members and two sailors, by the huge blasts which rocked nearby communities and caused extended damages. Nearby Mari village suffered most of the damages.

The number of people wounded reached at least 35, three of which are seriously wounded.

A crisis management center has been set up at the entrance of the naval base and the operation is under the command of the Chief of the National Guard, Lieutenant General Petros Tsalikidis, who is on spot.

Tsalikides, while speaking to CNA, said earlier that were trying to manage the crisis.

He added that there has been a large scale disaster, after ammunition, stored in containers, caught on fire. According to Tsalikides, the ammunition had been confiscated three years ago from the load of a ship. Right now, we try to manage the crisis, he concluded.

A deep crater was caused on the spot of the blast. The naval base had munitions in storage which Cyprus had confiscated from the Monchegorsk, a vessel sailing from Iran to Syria in 2009.

Seven ambulances with a team of doctors have been sent to the scene of the explosion.

[02] POWER PLANT - DAMAGE

Thrassou who is on his way to the Vasilikon station in order to review first-hand the damage caused, stated to CNA that the destruction which took place is very very serious.

The Electricity Authority of Cyprus is under great pressure to cover Cyprus electricity needs due to the fact that the Vasilikon power plant is out of order.

Massive explosions occurred at the Naval Base Evaggelos Florakis, at Zygi, near Limassol, few minutes before 6.00 am local time.

[03] NAVAL BASE - SEARCHES

Military sources told CNA that there were still people missing and that the explosion appears to have been caused by high temperatures building up in the containers they were stored in.

The sources noted that it had been decided that the containers be sprayed with water to keep temperatures down, however on Monday morning a fire started.

The Fire Brigade was called in to control the fire and ninety minutes later the explosion occurred.

Meanwhile, relatives of victims began arriving at Nicosia General Hospital, where the bodies of the dead will be taken later on Monday.

The relatives are taken to a waiting room in the Hospital, where a team of psychologists are providing support.

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