DRAMATIC scenes unfolded at Larnaca airport as relatives of the passengers of the fatal flight anxiously demanded information about the fates of their loved ones, which the company took six hours to release.
Even when they finally did, the information was incomplete.
The heart-rending lament of a grieving woman tragically illustrated the drama unfolding in the airport’s cafeteria.
Her daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter were on board the flight.
“I am waiting for my children; we have been waiting here for three hours and nothing.”
“All we want to know is whether they were on the plane, nothing else,” another angry relative shouted.
Outside, collapsed on a bench crying, the mother of one of the pilots was surrounded by other relatives.
The company could not even tell her if it was her son flying the plane.
The relatives were asked to remain in the cafeteria to be briefed by the company while medical staff and psychiatrists were at hand to provide assistance and support.
As more and more relatives arrived, tempers in the cafeteria flared at the company’s continuing delay in releasing any information.
The scenes were chaotic.
Police officers were reduced to preventing relatives from rushing downstairs, trying to reason with them in the absence of company officials, who were nowhere to be found.
The only one who appeared, Nicos Anastassiades almost got lynched when he was unable to come up with any satisfactory explanation about the delay in releasing the passenger lists.
“Butchers, murderers,” the relatives screamed.
Others just kept quiet, tears in their eyes, trying to comfort each other.
An elderly man fainted and was carried out on a stretcher.
Three ambulances, including a military one, were stationed outside the airport building.
At one point, several relatives who had had enough tried to charge the company’s offices.
There was pushing and shoving with police officers who were trying to prevent them from storming into the departures terminal downstairs, which was packed with leaving tourists.
However, one man managed to get through, rushing through the departure gate, causing panic among unsuspecting tourists, who hit the floor thinking he was a terrorist.
As time passed, with no information from the company, relatives became more and more agitated.
“Two friends of mine (a couple) were on board the flight,” one man told the Cyprus Mail.
He was sure they were dead.
Others were crying for their children, siblings, spouses.
RELATIVES kept arriving from all around the island, many still in their shorts or bathing suits.
As the tragedy sank in, most relatives turned their anger on the company, which, hours later, was still unable to release any information.
“No phones, nothing; the murderers let the plane fly,” one man said.
He was trying to get through to the company but to no avail.
“They are all on holiday,” he added.
At around five, Anastassiades appeared again to tell relatives that the passenger lists were being copied – around five hours after the accident – and they would be released in 30 minutes.
“For God sakes, we do not want to delay further,” Anastasiou said.
One relative responded: “Your final deadline is 5.35pm.”
“After that I will start smashing windows,” the angry relative said.
Anastasiou appeared again 30 minutes later, lists in hand.
Relatives, agony etched on their faces, assembled around, clinging to a last hope that their loved ones were not on board.
But hopes were quickly dashed as relatives started checking the lists.
There was a sharp scream from the woman, whose daughter, son-in-law and child were on the fatal flight: “My God, my God, my God.”
And there was renewed tension when the company representative cautioned relatives that some names were still unconfirmed.
A man, whose wife was on board the flight, shouted abuse at the representative, accusing the company of incompetence.
“Six hours later and they still cannot confirm the names,” he said before collapsing onto a chair.
“My son, he’s gone; It’s a lie,” another woman cried out.
