TWO Cypriot rescue teams returned from Greece yesterday after six days battling the devastating fires that have swept the country.
A third rescue team was also set to return last night.
Evidently distraught, 22 volunteers finally returned home yesterday morning on board a Greek military aircraft. A further 25 members of the island’s Civil Aviation arrived later in the day, leaving four colleagues behind, who were joined by a new team of volunteers that flew out yesterday afternoon. More were expected back last night.
Speaking at the airport, the volunteers expressed their shock and sorrow at the destruction caused by the fires but also stated their satisfaction at the assistance they were able to offer.
The head of the first mission, Christos Yiannaras, said he brought with him the good news that the fires in the area his team was working in had been extinguished.
But he added that the general situation in Greece was “tragic”.
One member of his team was slightly injured during the mission.
Another team member, Tasos Kyriakides, said the volunteers had “just responded to an invitation to help our Greek brothers”, while he spoke of the grief provoked by the charred remains of the country.
A team of 32 volunteers, along with 30 members of the Cyprus Fire Services, will leave early today for Tripoli, where they will continue their attempts to battle the fires.
Welcoming the volunteers yesterday afternoon, Interior Minister Christos Patsalides said this was a moment that belonged to them.
“We are just here to say a big thank you,” the minister told them. “To relay the entire Cypriot public’s gratitude, the government’s gratitude, for these people who went to help in these difficult times experience by Greece.”
The head of the mission, Chrisilios Chrisiliou, said his team was grateful for the opportunity to be able to help.
“We are leaving deeply moved by the many experiences, many friendships with the locals and those affected, and I would like publicly to thank the government that gave us the opportunity to help, as well as the local municipalities, Greece, the Greek fire services and the Cyprus Fire Services, with which we had excellent co-operation,” sad Chrisiliou.
Meanwhile, a specially formed Cabinet Committee yesterday announced the government would be sending a five-member team of technocrats to Artemida village, to estimate the extent of the damages caused by the fire. The Cyprus government has said it would rebuild the village as a sign of solidarity to Greece.
According to Minister Patsalides, the team, which will include mechanics, town-planning officials, architects and quantity surveyors, will depart for Artemida tomorrow.
After estimating the costs, the team will inform the Greek authorities and then the Cabinet Committee, which will in turn prepare a starting plan for which steps need to be taken.
“It was decided that a five-member team of technocrats will be sent on Sunday with the aim of getting an initial view of the situation, investigating, estimating the damages in the area of Artemida village, so that the first studies can begin and with their return to Cyprus, the Cabinet Committee will meet to organise plans to reconstruct Artemida village and take measures,” said Patsalides.
The cost of the damage will become clearer once the team has completed its work.
“The team’s first mission is to come into contact with the relevant co-ordinators on the Greek side, to visit the area, to estimate the extent of the damage, to estimate and list what exactly needs to be done to reconstruct the village,” he added.
