This Is Not a Drill – Fire Breaks Out in Varosha, Cyprus
Szöveg: Lt.-Col. Imre Kovács | 2015. június 20. 7:07The ghost town of Varosha is located in the north-eastern part of Cyprus. During the 1960s and 1970s, it was a holiday resort like present-day Monte Carlo, but today it is a restricted military area. The town is under the military control of the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus, and there are two UN patrol bases in the area as well.
At first the fire was burning in a small area only, but it was spreading very rapidly due to the strong wind, the dry vegetation and the neglected vacant buildings. Thanks to the coordinated work done by the three Hungarian peacekeepers, the firefighting and the evacuation of soldiers from a patrol base in danger went smoothly. It all looked like a well-organized drill, but here the soldiers had to deal with a real danger of death…
In cooperation with Turkish troops and firefighters, the UN peacekeepers were able to contain the flames after an 8-hour struggle. The Turkish troops are currently working to repair the damage caused by the fire, but the UN soldiers have already returned to their patrol base.
Following the case, Slovak Sector Commander Lt.-Col. Jaroslav Bitala awarded the Hungarian troops for their performance.
