‘The Mari blast was a murder’

The Mari blast was a murder that killed the hopes and dreams of the young, Popi Christoforou, mother of the twins Christos and Miltos said on Thursday during the memorial service of the 13 victims who died in the explosion.

“I want to express a huge apology to the children of the 2011 generation. The murderous explosion in Mari killed their dreams, ended their studies. Some never managed to study due to the problems that arose.”

Christoforou lost her twin sons Christos and Miltos in July 2011 who were carrying out their national guard service at the unit, which had 98 containers of explosives stored under the scorching sun.

Thursday marks the 13th anniversary of when the explosives self-detonated, killing 13 and injuring 62.

Katia Kleanthous, widow of another victim lieutenant Kleanthis Kleanthous, said there were mixed feelings ruling the day. “Sadness, pain, rage and disappointment.

“Today however, the day demands dignity, pride and for us to stand tall to the sacrifice they did, and the fact that they honoured the uniform they wore.”

She said 13 years later, they were to remind everyone and themselves everything the state never did that could have prevented them from being there.

The munitions had been confiscated in 2009 from a Cyprus-flagged ship enroute to Syria and were then stacked in an open space at the base and left exposed to the elements until the day of the explosion, despite repeated warnings about risks.

Following the disaster, the council of ministers declared the deceased as heroes who lost their lives in the line of duty, while Nicosia lawyer Polys Polyviou was appointed, as a one-man committee, to carry out an investigation into the circumstances that led to the blast and establish who was politically responsible.

The Mari explosion “was not only the 13 sacrificed and the injured, but the human tragedy. When you put a stop to the dreams of young children, to me this is a murder.”

She thanked President Nikos Christodoulides, former President Nicos Anastasiades and late Archbishop Chysostomos whose work led to the church that transformed the site “from a traffic place to a site of relief, strength, courage and love that can allow us all to carry on”.