CYPRUS: Exploding munitions in Turkish military depot rock north

 

A series of blasts rocked Turkish occupied north of Cyprus when a fire broke out near an ammunition depot in the early hours of Thursday close to the coastal village of Ayios Epiktitos (Catalkoy).

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The Turkish Defense Ministry said the fire had been brought under control and that the cause of the initial blast, around 1:30 am (2230 GMT), was not immediately clear. It said an investigative team had begun its work with the use of drones.

The situation remains fragile as there are concerns that live munitions in the Turkish military facility could still be exposed as the fire is still burning.

Reportedly, the explosions started at 1.30 am and continued into the night until 5 am at the depot in a military zone east of Kyrenia, an historic harbour town in a region frequented by tourists.

There was damage to nearby buildings, including a hotel and minor injuries caused to tourists by shattered glass.

According to Turkish Cypriot daily YeniDuzen some 2,000 tourists were evacuated from the nearby ‘Acapulco Hotel’.

According to an announcement made by the head of the ruling coalition in the north, Ersin Tatar, a crisis management team has been set up with the participation of military, civil defence and the forest department officials.

The head of the coalition has called on people not to approach the area, while roads leading to the site have been closed off.

Fires from the explosion in the military facility were reported to have been seen from the Turkish coast of Antalia.

The explosion in the north follows an incident where a stray Syrian missile had fell near Vouno, a village on the foothills of the Pentadaktylos mountain range on 2 July.

CNN Turk broadcast video showed large blasts and plumes of smoke rising into the night sky over the area.

People in the village of Klepini (Arapkoy), some 12 km east of Kyrenia, had initially fled the area as a precaution during the blasts but residents had started returning home.