Defense Minister Nikos Dendias announced on Friday morning that he has requested an urgent sworn investigation from the Chief of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff regarding the massive ammunition explosions in a depot of 111 Combat Wing Air Base in central Greece on Thursday afternoon.
“If there are any responsibilities, they will be fully attributed,” Dendias said adding that there were no safety issues for the military personnel.
“I want to assure you that there was no safety issue for the 111 Combat Wing,” the minister added.
“I have requested a comprehensive reassessment of fire safety plans for all camps and the three branches of the Armed Forces. I want to assure you that the safety of personnel, facilities, and equipment has consistently been a top priority. It remains an utmost priority for the current government and for everyone,” he stressed.
Former Foreign Minister Dendias who has been assigned to Defense Ministry post after the June elections, is the first official who made a statement even 17 hours after the incident.
Neither the Minister for Civil Protection nor the chief of General Staff or the Air Force Staff, nor the chief of the Fire Service and, of course, nor the Prime Minister made any statements, so far.
Nobody has resigned, so far, either.
Check also KTG’s post: Fire in ammunition depot triggers massive explosions, F-16s evacuate the Air Base (videos)
The explosions on Thursday afternoon had not only forced the partial evacuated the Air Base from F-16 fighter jets. The base is 6 km away from the depot.
It also horrified locals and tourists in the area who were ordered to evacuate to the city of Volos, however, without any organized plan.
It was around 80 inflatable boats participating in a regatta in Volos that rushed to pick up over 130 people and evacuate them via the sea way.
A total of 2,500 people from the area had to be evacuated.
