At least 12 killed in Cyprus naval base blast
15:15 11/07/2011 ATHENS, July 11 (RIA Novosti) - At least twelve people were killed and more than 30 injured on Monday in a powerful explosion and fire at a Cypriot naval base, local media reported.
The Kathimerini newspaper said on its website that at least 15 people had been killed in the accident at the Evangelos Florakis base. Five firefighters, four National Guard officers and two navy officers were among those killed, the Cyprus News Agency said.
The fire broke out near the base, located at Zygi in the southern Larnaka district, at about 6 am local time (03:00 GMT) following the explosion, the cause of which has not yet been established.
The fire put out of action the island's largest power station at Vassiliko, the Cyprus Mail website said. Cyprus Electricity Authority spokesman Costas Gavrielides described the incident as a "biblical disaster."
The blast occurred in a dump housing arms confiscated from a ship which was heading to Syria from Iran in 2009, the website quoted a high-ranking Cypriot National Guard officer as saying.
There were about 100 containers of arms at the depot.
The injured have been admitted to hospitals. Cypriot President Dimitris Christofias has arrived at the site.
The entire area around the naval vase and the Vassiliko power station was reported to have been shrouded in black smoke.
