Cyprus President Apologizes for Deadly Blast

Cypriot President Demetris Christofias, faced with growing public protest, apologised on Friday over the navy base munitions blast that claimed 13 lives and knocked out the island's biggest power plant.

Christofias waited three days before addressing the nation about the tragedy, which also injured more than 60 and damaged hundreds of homes, and came under harsh criticism in the press and on the street for not apologizing then.

"Because there has been talk about an apology during the president's address, the government's and the president's apology should be considered a given, and they are a given," Christofias told reporters on Friday.

"Furthermore, I wish to call on everybody to keep a low profile and to restrain from any statements of animosity."

On Thursday night an unprecedented 10,000 people gathered outside the presidential palace to call on him Christofias to resign, and many who addressed the crowd expressed anger that he had not apologized for the island's worse peacetime military disaster.

"We're hoping to come here every day until Christofias resigns," said actress Despina Chrysanthou, an organizer of the peaceful protest at which the president was branded a "murderer" and "traitor" and called a "disgrace."

In his speech, plastics company employee Costas Tsangarides said: "We represent simple people, no political party, and we're demanding the resignation of the president, the government and the parliament. They all knew what was going on."

Leaked documents in the media indicate that at least five ministers were made aware that shipping containers holding the munitions, piled up in the blazing sun, could explode.

Among those killed was the head of the Cypriot navy, Captain Andreas Ioannides, who was reported to have repeatedly denounced the situation.

Christofias again repeated his determination that the probe will reach every corner of government, including the presidency.

"It will reach to the very top right to the president of the republic. There will be absolute accountability for the tragic incident."

Lawyer Polis Polyviou has been appointed to expedite the enquiry which will run parallel to the on-going police investigation. He said everyone involved in the matter will be interviewed, even the president.

His remit is to probe "every aspect and all the circumstances of this tragedy," which has led to widespread power cuts throughout the Mediterranean holiday island.

Six firemen and seven armed services personnel were killed by the blast.

On Friday, the National Guard said soldier Antonis Charalambous, 19, had become the 13th victim, dying of injuries to his face. His funeral will take place on Saturday in Limassol.

Just hours after the explosion, which ripped through 98 containers at the Mari naval base near the port city of Limassol, both the defence minister and the head of the National Guard resigned.

The English-language Cyprus Weekly said Christofias "should do the honorable thing, admit that he does not have the makings of a leader and let someone else lead this unfortunate country."

Independent Politis daily said it was "unbelievable and outrageous" that the fate of the "deadly cargo" had been discussed at official level for over two years.

It said firemen were also led like "lambs to slaughter" because they were not properly informed about the situation with the containers and thought it was a normal blaze.

Mass-selling Phileleftheros said the dangerous munitions cache was simply left to its fate.

The containers had been at the base since February 2009. They were seized when Cyrus intercepted, under pressure from the United States and other Western nations, a freighter bound from Iran for Syria.

The government has said the president had never been made aware of the risk or dangers posed by the containers being exposed to extreme heat.

The explosion also took out the key Vassiliko power plant, which provides more than half of the country's electricity.

As Cyprus withers under scorching summer temperatures, and with a shortage of private generators, authorities have imposed rolling two-hour power cuts.

An Israeli ship has brought 10 generators to Cyprus while more are expected from Greece.