Cyprus: Zygi naval base munitions blast kills 12

Feuer Frei! · 07-11-11, 05:34 AM

Twelve people have been killed and about 30 injured in a blast at a munitions dump in Cyprus.
The explosion at 0600 (0300 GMT) is thought to have been caused by brushfires which spread to the depot in the naval base at Zygi.
The island's largest power station has been knocked out, resulting in widespread power cuts.
The munitions depot contained explosives seized in 2009 from a ship travelling from Iran.
There is no indication that the cause of the blast was deliberate, says the BBC's Tabitha Morgan in Nicosia.
State radio said the dead included two sailors from the Cyprus navy, two soldiers and five firefighters.

Two containers of explosive stored in the munitions dump at the Evangelos Florakis naval base caught fire, a police spokesman told the semi-official CNA news agency.
In all, there were 98 containers in the depot.
They had been seized from a Cypriot-flagged ship, the Monchegorsk, which was intercepted travelling from Iran in January 2009.
Cyprus said the shipment violated UN sanctions against Iran.
The fire spread to the nearby Vassilikou power station, knocking out the electricity supply to many homes and businesses.

The fire has also had a knock-on effect on the BBC's broadcasts to the eastern Mediterranean. Six of the eight transmitters in the BBC's relay station at Zygi are without power, interrupting direct English-language broadcasts to the Middle East.

The blast was "rather like a sonic boom", eyewitness Hermes Solomon told the BBC. He was staying in a caravan on a campsite not far from the base.
"The doors crashed together, the glass blew in - windows, door frames, things left their shelves. It was a total mess inside, as though a bomb had hit the place."
State television said the blasts caused extensive damage to property in the area and sparked wildfires in nearby scrubland in the tinder-dry summer conditions.

SOURCE

Matador.es · 07-11-11, 09:04 AM

WOW! And all that due to Iranian explosives

Feuer Frei! · 07-11-11, 09:09 AM

Update:

Defence Minister Costas Papacostas and National Guard Chief Petros Tsalikides resigned over the accident, a government spokesman said.
The spokesman, Stefanos Stefanou, said sabotage had been ruled out.

SOURCE

TLAM Strike · 07-11-11, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matador.es

WOW! And all that due to Iranian humanitarian aid to the Palestinians

*Fixed that for you.

07-11-11, 05:34 AM	#1
Feuer Frei! Navy Seal Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Valhalla Posts: 5,295 Downloads: 141 Uploads: 17	Cyprus: Zygi naval base munitions blast kills 12 Twelve people have been killed and about 30 injured in a blast at a munitions dump in Cyprus. The explosion at 0600 (0300 GMT) is thought to have been caused by brushfires which spread to the depot in the naval base at Zygi. The island's largest power station has been knocked out, resulting in widespread power cuts. The munitions depot contained explosives seized in 2009 from a ship travelling from Iran. There is no indication that the cause of the blast was deliberate, says the BBC's Tabitha Morgan in Nicosia. State radio said the dead included two sailors from the Cyprus navy, two soldiers and five firefighters. Two containers of explosive stored in the munitions dump at the Evangelos Florakis naval base caught fire, a police spokesman told the semi-official CNA news agency. In all, there were 98 containers in the depot. They had been seized from a Cypriot-flagged ship, the Monchegorsk, which was intercepted travelling from Iran in January 2009. Cyprus said the shipment violated UN sanctions against Iran. The fire spread to the nearby Vassilikou power station, knocking out the electricity supply to many homes and businesses. The fire has also had a knock-on effect on the BBC's broadcasts to the eastern Mediterranean. Six of the eight transmitters in the BBC's relay station at Zygi are without power, interrupting direct English-language broadcasts to the Middle East. The blast was "rather like a sonic boom", eyewitness Hermes Solomon told the BBC. He was staying in a caravan on a campsite not far from the base. "The doors crashed together, the glass blew in - windows, door frames, things left their shelves. It was a total mess inside, as though a bomb had hit the place." State television said the blasts caused extensive damage to property in the area and sparked wildfires in nearby scrubland in the tinder-dry summer conditions. SOURCE __________________ "History is the lies that the victors agree on"- Napoleon LINK TO MY SH 3 MODS

07-11-11, 09:09 AM	#3
Feuer Frei! Navy Seal Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Valhalla Posts: 5,295 Downloads: 141 Uploads: 17	Update: Defence Minister Costas Papacostas and National Guard Chief Petros Tsalikides resigned over the accident, a government spokesman said. The spokesman, Stefanos Stefanou, said sabotage had been ruled out. SOURCE __________________ "History is the lies that the victors agree on"- Napoleon LINK TO MY SH 3 MODS

07-11-11, 09:04 AM	#2
Matador.es Chief Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 327 Downloads: 30 Uploads: 0	WOW! And all that due to Iranian explosives