“My Kyriakos is the second confirmed victim of Takata,” said Maria Loui, the mother of the victim, speaking on Protoselido. She explained that “in 2017-2018, there was another accident in our country involving Takata, where an 18-year-old suffered severe injuries with irreparable damage. He has no lower jaw, and his hand was also injured. He is currently abroad undergoing his 30th surgery.”
She emphasised that “this child’s life changed overnight. If proper campaigns had been conducted, as they are in other countries, his life wouldn’t have been altered. In other countries, such efforts have been in place for years. The Takata company went bankrupt at the end of 2019 due to the numerous lawsuits and compensation claims. If we had been informed and proper campaigns had been run, my Kyriakos would certainly be alive today.”
She continued by highlighting that “in 2023, Kyriakos’s case went to Parliament. I don’t know what happened; it was silenced, and no proper measures were taken. Now, on 21 October 2024, we’re discussing the high probability that the death of 19-year-old Styliani Georgalli was caused by a Takata airbag. That overwhelmed me and made me feel immense frustration.”
Maria also noted that she had personally conducted research and informed 1,500 fellow citizens to replace their airbags. “But 99% of people don’t know what Takata is. After Styliani’s incident, I’ve made it my life’s mission to resolve this issue. But it cannot be solved with simple steps. There are gaps. The global instructions are clear: immobilise your vehicles.”
She added, “I conducted research and asked for an explanation about the material used in Takata airbags. The ammonium nitrate inside these airbags is the same material that destroyed all of Beirut in 2020, and we heard the explosion in Cyprus. This isn’t a metaphorical description of a ticking time bomb.”
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Also read: Takata airbags: lethal threats – potential vehicle immobilisation
