Cyprus navy base explosion leaves several dead

Intensity of blast at Evangelos Florakis navy base caused damage to nearby town but it remains unclear what triggered it A massive explosion has ripped through a military base in southern Cyprus with at least eight people reported dead, according to the official news agency. Information was scant from the scene of the blast at the Evangelos Florakis navy base. “There are a number of dead which we cannot confirm yet,” a spokesperson for the ministry of defence said. It was unclear what triggered the explosion, which news reports said took place in a munitions dump. The military base had munitions in storage which Cyprus had confiscated from the Monchegorsk, a vessel sailing from Iran to Syria in 2009. The intensity of the blast caused extensive damage to a neighbouring community, and in a holiday resort 3km from the site windows and doors of beachside restaurants were blown out. “The place looks like it was hit by a massive bomb,” a Reuters witness said. Further details soon. Cyprus Europe guardian.co.uk

Posted by on July 11, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.