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Cyprus Mail
by Stephanos Evripidou - published on July 12 2011
"TWELVE dead and 62 injured – two seriously – the island’s main power station destroyed and significant damage to private properties, were the result of what appears to be criminal negligence on behalf of officials who left containers full of munitions exposed to the elements for more than two years.
The huge explosion at the Evangelos Florakis naval base at Mari in the early hours Monday killed the navy chief and the base commander along with four other sailors and six fire-fighters, who had been battling a blaze around 98 containers full of munitions ‘stored’ by being stacked together and exposed to the elements.
Making things worse, the munitions were stacked near the island’s main power station, which yesterday seemed to be all but destroyed, sparking a chain reaction that is expected to deal a severe blow to the island’s already ailing economy. The immediate effects were rolling power and water cuts islandwide.
Defence Minister Costas Papacostas and National Guard chief Petros Tsalikidis resigned just hours after the bloody event as the government declared three days of mourning.
“A black day for Cyprus –was how President Demetris Christofias described the tragic events
as a stunned nation mourned their dead.
Eyewitnesses of the devastation caused by yesterday’s huge blast which ripped through the naval base could only speak of their terror and confusion as their homes and businesses. Relatives and friends of the victims besieged Limassol hospital in the morning anxious to learn if their loved ones were among the dead.
Around 150 people in the village of Mari and the surrounding area have been left in need of shelter for the next few days at least,
Amid the grief and confusion accusations began pouring in on the decisions and omissions that led to the tragedy. DISY boss Nikos Anastassiades spoke of an “unprecedented criminal errors,” pledging that these would not be tolerated.
The munitions had come from the Monchegorsk, a Cypriot-flagged ship bound for Syria and originating from Iran, which was apprehended on January 20, 2009 in the Red Sea by US warships. Following an on-board search suspicious military material was reported and the ship was ordered to dock at the port of
The cargo was later offloaded and stored at the naval base where it remained exposed for two and a half years despite several warnings over the risks.
US diplomatic cables sent to and from the US Embassy in Nicosia and leaked by Wikileaks revealed the government’s grave desire to handle the situation so as not to upset Syria.
US Ambassador Frank Urbancic wrote to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton noting that the Cyprus Republic wanted UN cover for any actions taken so as not to provoke a retaliatory move by Syria, involving the further upgrading of the breakaway state in the north or new ferry links to the occupied areas.
In the many pages leaked, the US ambassador frequently reports on Cyprus’ rejection of the US’ offer to help handle the highly explosive material. In a diplomatic cable dated January 29, 2009, Urbancic notes that the US offered technical assistance to Cyprus.
A few days later, on February 2, the cable reveals Germany also offered help in the form of technical experts or even dispatching a vessel that could remove the cargo from Cypriot territory.
In the same cable, Urbancic referred to a phone conversation with the head of the diplomatic office at the presidential palace Leonidas Pantelides.
The ambassador noted that “if Cyprus were to confiscate the cargo with aims of disposing it, the USG (US government) would stand ready to lend technical assistance… Pantelides again demurred on the offer of technical assistance.”
On February 10, 2009, the US mission at UN headquarters in New York wrote greater involvement by the UN Sanctions Committee “might inspire Cyprus to accept one of the many offers of third-party assistance to dispose of the cargo”.
Three days later, Urbancic reports back to Washington that Pantelides clearly declined his offer of US technical assistance in determining the containers’ contents.
In fact, not only did the government not take up the American offer of expert assistance, at that point, they weren’t even sure whether they would use any expert advice at all.
On February 13, 2009, speaking from the Mari naval base, Defence Minister Costas Papacostas, said “the material is completely safe, there is no risk”, adding, “It could even be placed in residential areas without any risk”.
However, as one source put it, there was no shortage of countries willing to help Cyprus move and dispose of the explosive materials after they were transferred to Mari.
Government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou said yesterday, “Storage of the material was assigned to the National Guard.”
But ‘secret’ minutes of a discussion dated August 6, 2009, on the future of the cargo obtained by the Cyprus Mail, show that the NG wanted nothing to do with the cargo.
During the meeting, then defence ministry permanent secretary Petros Kareklas highlighted that storage of the cargo was problematic for the NG. The military material could not be used by the NG, since it didn’t have the relevant infrastructure.
“The NG underlined that it was not its mission to be responsible for the cargo,” said the minutes.
Kareklas noted that decision for the NG to store the cargo was a temporary one and that storing gunpowder entailed risks.
The meeting concluded based on foreign ministry permanent secretary Nicos Emiliou’s proposal to maintain the status quo until the president returns from his trip to Syria and the UN General Assembly in October, 2009.
It appears, no further decision was taken after that, despite President Demetris Christofias returning that October."
As a citizen of the Republic of Cyprus and with all the due respect, like most Greek Cypriots, I I would like President Dimitris Christofias and his government to resign. That's the least they can do if they truly care about the families of 12 innocent victims that they have killed and 62 injured.
In the 21st century, men like our Commander Of Cyprus Navy, Andreas Ioannides, make me even more proud to be born Greek. Andreas and Lambros Lambrou - base commander-knew what was going to happen but they ordered their staff to abandon the naval base and both of them died there.. I also mourn for all the firefighters who were only told there was a minor fire at Mari village but died when 98 containers of munitions exploded. These were kept next to our main power station!!! I am quite illiterate in Physics and Chemistry but I do know the basics- I know , for instance, that munitions explode when exposed to high temps and that they shouldn't be kept next to a power station. Oh my! Didn't our President know that??? I'm lucky to have power right now and type these words. What more can I say about the young twin brothers who did not obey the orders and offered to help? And died with the firefighters and their commanders?
May they all rest in peace and may JUSTICE be done!
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