An explosion on the coast of Cyprus that may have killed at least eight people was caused by a fire at a power station that spread to a munitions dump at a naval base, state radio CyBC reported.
The blast in Zygi on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean island happened after the fire spread to two containers loaded with munitions that were seized in 2009 from a ship, CyBC said. Eight people were killed, CyBC reported, citing the Cyprus News Agency. Cyprus Fire Department authorities couldn’t immediately confirm the number of casualties.
Fifty firefighters and 10 fire trucks are battling the blaze, said a fire official, who declined to be identified by name.
The Cyprus Power Authority, the island’s state-run electricity company, asked consumers to reduce power usage and not use air conditioners after the fire damaged the distribution network, according to an e-mailed statement.
The munitions that exploded may have come from the Russian- owned, Cypriot-flagged vessel Monchegorsk that was intercepted by Cyprus in 2009. The U.S., Britain and France said at the time that the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines chartered the vessel to send weapons-related material, including what they described as “bullet shells” and anti-tank munitions, to Syria. Iran said the seizure of the arms shipment was illegal.
To contact the reporter on this story: Stelios Orphanides in Athens at sorphanides@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Andrew J. Barden at barden@bloomberg.net
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