THE UNITED Nations (UN) were yesterday looking for mines in the buffer zone close to Denia village on the outskirts of Nicosia thought to have been carried away by a torrent that started in the occupied village of Ayios Vasileios. The UN received word from ‘TRNC’ authorities late Friday that they suspected some landmines from Ayios Vasileios may have been swept away by a river swollen by rains. They started looking for possible mines yesterday morning in the Denia area. Residents, hunters and farmers working in the area were yesterday warned to stay away until further notice. A police spokesperson told the Cyprus Mail that there was a risk that poachers might unwittingly enter the buffer zone in that area looking for animals. As a precaution, roads leading to the swollen torrent have been blocked, Denia community leader, Christakis Panayiotou, told the Cyprus News Agency. “People are upset because tractors [and] agricultural vehicles go there,” Panayiotou said adding that he had not seen “in years” a torrent such as the one that may have carried away the mines. “The area is blocked off by the UN… It is an agricultural region and lots of people go there. Hunters go and so do farmers and the risk is great,” he added.
The UN told Panayiotou it may take a few days to know whether or not any mines were swept away because the water levels are too high. Back in May, Denia village was evacuated so authorities could disable a bomb hailing back to the 1974 Turkish invasion, which was discovered lying at the bottom of a dry well. School children and teachers were moved to the nearby village of Mammari when the discovery was made. About 500 residents had to wait for bomb experts to carry out a controlled explosion. Two days later, the residents asked authorities to look for the remains of a mortar explosive. Police and explosives’ experts cordoned off a street and gutted a building, making off with “some very rusty remains,” Panayiotou said at the time. But this time Panayiotou said the village was removed from the area where mines may have been swept and so most residents are not affected. “You have to have business there to go,” he said. Panayiotou could not say if there was a specific number or kind of mines the UN was looking for. The Cyprus Mail could not get through to the UN yesterday and the police had no further information to relay.