Residents of Çatalköy and Alagadi villages are still literally picking up the pieces after a series of explosions took place at the nearby military munitions store last Thursday.
The nearby Acapulco hotel was evacuated. Hotel windows and windows of homes in the village were shattered. Twelve people were injured but later sent home from hospital.
Meanwhile, residents are asking who is going to pay for the damage. Many say that they cannot afford to pay to replace broken windows and repair other damage caused by the blasts.
There is also the psychological effect of the explosions which occurred in the early hours of last Thursday morning. Apart from the anxiety and fear caused by the sudden explosions, some older residents were taken back to the events of 1974, they said. They also say that they do not feel very safe. There was a similar incident in 1995, which caused a massive fire in the Besparmak mountain range.
Kyrenia District Governor Sinan Güneş has said that they will accept claims for damage. He said that claimants’ homes will be visited to assess the damage. Claims then will be transferred to the ministry and will be followed up. “I do not have the budget to meet the expense. Claims will be transferred to the ministry”, he said.
There have been calls by politicians to remove military ordnance sites away from residential and tourist areas.
Yeni Duzen
