All calm at British bases, civil defence alerts precautionary

Everything was running smoothly at the British bases in Dhekelia on Wednesday, with no incidents to cause public concern.

On Tuesday, residents of Xylotymbou, Xylofagou and Ormidia received warning messages on their mobile phones from the Civil Defence, raising concerns in the communities around the British bases.

Andreas Efthymiou-Soulis, deputy director of civil defence for Larnaca and Famagusta, stated that the messages served as “guiding and precautionary” measures for emergencies.

He reassured the public that there was no need for panic and confirmed that the service maintained constant contact with the three communities, volunteers and standby staff.

Xylofagou community leader Giorgos Ioulianos also urged residents to remain calm.

“Citizens should not panic in the event of an emergency,” he told the Cyprus News Agency, explaining that on Tuesday residents were informed that, if necessary, they should move to Frenaros.

He said the community council was monitoring developments and awaiting official announcements from state departments so it could keep residents informed.

“Panic should not prevail, but we can deal with concern,” he said.

Around 60 per cent of Xylofagou lies within the British bases, Ioulianos said, which meant precautionary measures were necessary in case of any incident.

The community has five shelters, which staff were inspecting to ensure they are accessible and suitable to host people if necessary.

Efforts were also under way to identify families or individuals with mobility problems so arrangements could be made to transport them to Frenaros if required.

Asked whether supermarket shelves were beginning to empty, Ioulianos said this was to be expected.

“When people see that Cyprus has called on Greece, France and Germany to assist in the event of any incident, they become concerned and try to secure at least the essentials for the coming days,” he said.

Efthymiou-Soulis stated that messages were sent to three neighbouring communities as part of civil defence planning for potential resident transfers during emergencies.

He added that local shelters had been reviewed recently, with additional sites identified as needed, highlighting that many buildings in free Famagusta lacked basements, complicating shelter identification.

In case of hostilities, he advised residents to stay home until the alarm ends, unless a nearby shelter is available.

“After the alarm, they should avoid unnecessary street roaming,” he added.

Efthymiou-Soulis also mentioned that civil defence officials visited schools, meeting primary school students in Ormidia on Wednesday.

“Our goal is to engage with young people and foster responsible citizens,” he said.