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1st LD Writethru: Missiles fall off British Tornado plane during landing at air base

Xinhua, July 16, 2015 Adjust font size:

Two missiles became detached from a British Tornado plane and fell on the ground while the plane was landing at an airbase on the south coast of Cyprus, but did not explode, a British spokesman said on Wednesday.

The spokesman at Britain's Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area in Cyprus said the circumstances under which the rockets became detached were being investigated.

"Two Brimstone air-to-surface missiles became detached from a Tornado fighter and fell on the tarmac," Kristian Gray told reporters at the base.

He added that no more details could be announced as investigations are under way to establish the cause of the accident.

But he said there is no danger for people living near the base and added that there is no advice for evacuating the area.

"For the moment there is no danger whatsoever and we call citizens to remain calm. We do not advice them to evacuate the area," he added.

The scene has been cordoned off as specialists called in from Britain are trying to recover the rockets.

Gray said there had been no explosion and the specialists are looking for ways to take the rockets away from the runway.

Journalists in the area said that the base was closed to incoming and outgoing planes.

Giorgos Stylianou, community leader of Akrotiri village which lies next to the airbase fence, said he was briefed on Wednesday morning by the political administration of the Base about the incident.

"This is not the only incident which causes concern to the residents of the village, who are worried daily about having to live next to the base. There are many problems for the population but we are obliged to live here," he added.

Britain retained an air base at Akrotiri near the port city of Limassol when it granted independence to Cyprus in 1960.

The base, next to the city's commercial port, provides air support to NATO operations in the Middle East and near East regions.

It is also used as an electronic surveillance site which is connected to other NATO surveillance hubs all over the world. Endit