Communities around Akrotiri report public unrest

Communities around the Akrotiri British air base reported a quiet night, following Monday’s Iranian-backed drone strike launched from Lebanon, however they did report people panicking and hundreds contacting the local authorities for information.

“The situation is generally calm and the alarm levels have dropped because last night was quiet,” Curium mayor Pantelis Georgiou said on Tuesday. This was echoed by Akrotiri deputy mayor Giorgos Constantinou, who said “the situation is calm”.

Timi deputy mayor Giorgos Polykarpou pointed out the importance of open channels of information and preparedness, adding that, “as was natural, the people panicked”.

Mayor of Dromolaxia-Meneou in Larnaca Kypros Andronikou said communities in the area, namely Tersefanou, Kiti, Pervolia and Meneou, were still awaiting information regarding local bomb shelters.

Referring to Monday’s developments, Polykarpou said the community of Timi had initially been given instructions to evacuate and then for the residents to remain in their homes.

“This situation highlighted in the clearest way the importance of proper coordination in emergencies,” Polykarpou said.

He added that the incident could “possibly constitute a useful lesson for Civil Defence”.

Polykarpou said he received “hundreds of phone calls that reflected concern and uncertainty”.

Both Curium and Akrotiri reported an uneventful Monday night.

Georgiou said “the people are going about their daily lives”.

The mayor of Curium said he was visiting the monastery to see if everyone was alright and that meals were being sent to the monastery and hotels where residents had passed the night.

He added that the community was awaiting further instructions from the British bases and the interior ministry.

Constantinou was also awaiting instructions for the return of Akrotiri residents to their homes.

He added that approximately 30 people stayed in the village overnight and that “those who want to come back can do so, we can’t tell them not to, but the official instruction is to be given this afternoon”.

For the time being, he explained, most were returning for work.

Meneou’s Andronikou told the Cyprus News Agency that he requested a list of bomb shelters in the area so that the residents of the area could be informed.

“Once we have the official registration, we will announce the shelters […] we know there are churches in Dromolaxia and Kiti that have basements but they didn’t appear in the Civil Defence app,” Andronikou pointed out.

Explaining why the municipality was not aware of the list earlier, Andronikou said that “unfortunately we were not informed by the Civil Defence, however now that a need has arisen and we may need to use the shelters, we requested to be officially informed.”

Civil Defence spokesman Panayiotis Liasides admitted that there was room for improvement and assured efforts were being made to add more shelters to the list, even though private shelters could not be added as they were solely for use by the owners.

In areas where no shelters are available, the public can seek other safe spaces. In any case, Liasides said, someone might be neither at home nor at work on the day he needs to find a shelter.

“Citizens should find a place, such as blocks of flats, if no basements are available then under staircases, anywhere away from windows, to protect themselves,” he said.

Liasides stressed the need to remain calm, despite the fact that people were concerned watching developments.