Hello everyone,
I am devastated since it has only been a few days from the terrible plane crash of one of the planes of the Cypriot private airlines called Helios.
A plane traveling from Larnaca - Cyprus to Athens - Greece and the Prague - Check Republic crashed on a hill North of Athens City after reporting of having some problems with communication and air-conditioning. We still don't know much since there's very little to report and there's an investigation being held by the Cypriot and Greek authorities. The plane crashed on 14th August taking with it a number of 115 people who were on board and 6 crew. most of the people were Greek Cypriots, some were Greeks from Athens and one (the pilot) was German.
As the days are passing by and more information comes to light the story of what actually happened on board before the crash is getting more and more weird. Everyone here in Cyprus and in Greece are stuck to their TV screens trying to find out more of this mystery and to understand at least the reasons why this tragic event took place.
The number of people lost (121 in total) is quite huge for the Cypriot reality. Everyone knows someone who was on the plane, or someone who had a friend or family on board. It's getting really tragic since a number of whole families have been wiped out, 6 families of 5 people, 5 families of 4 people and 1 of 3 people have been lost.
Listening to the announcements of the media, the names and ages of the tragic crew and and people on board, in the beginning I haven't had someone I new in person, but as the list is revealed and people's names and relativeness are told from mouth to mouth, I have friends who lost a loved one, my sister had a colleague of hers and my mom found out just today that two of her customers at the bank she's working were on the plane leaving their two children behind with their grandparents.
The situation is really sad and I feel this sadness everywhere I happen to be.. People lit candles last night in all the main squares of the towns in the memory of all the people that have been lost. Last night I went along with my sister too and lit some candles on the main square of my town Lemessos in Cyprus as an act of compassion to the families and closed ones of those who lost one of their own. The square was filled with people and the silence was obviously charged emotionally. Everyone had tears in their eyes that they did not want to let go and roll.. I haven't lost anyone I personally new but I cried as well.. as the loss is so intense that one cannot stay untouched.
I want to thank all the people, you, my friends, who spent some time to think about the event and feel compassionate to what my People and my Nation is going through these last few tragic days.
Thank you for your eMails, your text messages, your calls, your thoughts focussing on this sad event from your side of the planet.
It's important to feel that people are aware and compassionate of what other people are going through, no matter of nationality, politics or culture differences..
Thank you so much for sharing this sadness with me, thank you !
I hope that we will soon have some idea of what might have happened up there minutes before the crash.
It's important for the families and the human mind to understand and accept the loss, and after the investigation is complete, we are hoping to know who is to be blamed for this, if any, and who is taking responsibility for such a tragic event
Thank you again for your compassion
I feel you all close to me at this time.
Regards from Cyprus
k.M
