Memorial service honors heroes of Mari tragedy

Twelve years have passed since the tragic explosion in Mari, which resulted in the loss of 13 lives and injuries to many others, as well as significant damage to the Vasiliko Power Station.

Today, a yearly memorial service is being held at the location of the incident. The President of the Republic will deliver a speech in remembrance. Other dignitaries, including the President of the Parliament, the Minister of Defense, and the Mayor of Limassol, will also be present. Following the memorial service, wreaths will be laid at the Heroes' Monument in the EMAK facilities. Various officials, such as the Archbishop of Cyprus, the Minister of Justice, the Chief of Police, the Chief Fire Officer, the President of the Community Council of Kofinou, and representatives of the Fire Service Union and the Police Union, will participate in the wreath-laying ceremony at the memorial for the fallen members of EMAK.

The Council of Ministers recognized the 13 individuals who lost their lives in the line of duty as heroes. Meanwhile, the justice system held accountable those responsible for the tragedy, imposing penalties accordingly.

Here is a timeline of the tragedy: On Monday, July 11, 2011, at 4:00 am, a fire broke out for the second time in a week in two of the 98 containers containing explosive materials at the "Evangelos Florakis" Naval Base in Mari. The containers had been seized from a ship bound for Syria two and a half years earlier.

The Fire Service promptly responded to the incident.

At approximately 5:40 am, during firefighting efforts, a devastating explosion occurred, resulting in a shockwave spanning three kilometers and causing the deaths of 13 individuals, including firefighters, officers, and soldiers.

It's important to note that the explosion caused severe damage to the Vasiliko Power Station.

The following individuals lost their lives in the line of duty at the "Evangelos Florakis" Naval Base in Mari: Captain Andreas Ioannides, Vice Admiral Lambros Lambrou, Commander Cleanthis Cleanthous, Lieutenant Michael Heraclides, Ensign Antonis Charalambous, Sergeants Spyros Ttantis, Vasilis Krokos, Giorgos Giakoumis, Panagiotis Theofilou, Adam Adamou, and Seamen Miltos and Christos Christophorou, as well as Police Officer Andreas Papadopoulos.