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- The victims included 31 patients, among them three Turkish Cypriots, and two nurses aged between 22 and 80.
- Excavations begun in 2017 uncovered human remains, blankets, glasses and medicine ampoules inside a burned crater behind Nicosia General Hospital.
- A temporary grave in the crater held the immediate victims, who were wrapped in blankets and sheets and buried under emergency conditions.
- A memorial listing the names of the dead was erected in February 2023, and identified remains of Yiannakis Charalambous were buried in July 2023.
The Athalassa Hospital bombing on 20 July 1974 remains one of the lesser-known tragedies of the Cyprus war, with 33 people killed when Turkish aircraft struck two hospital wards.
The victims included 31 patients, three of whom were Turkish Cypriots, and two nurses who died during the attack. The patients were aged between 22 and 80.
Archaeologist Michalis Iakovides, who led excavations at the site beginning in November 2017, described the discovery of human remains and personal belongings that revealed the devastating conditions faced by the victims.
“Some were found with glasses embedded in their bodies. One was holding a medicine ampoule marked Serenace in his folded hand. We found up to 30 such ampoules,” he said.
Bombing left mass graves
According to testimonies collected by the Cyprus News Agency (CNA), the bombing lasted from 9am until 1:30pm on 20 July 1974.
When the attack ended, nurses discovered that Ward 1 had been completely destroyed, while Ward 2 had suffered damage and casualties.
One of the bombs, weighing 500 pounds, created a crater roughly half the size of the ward.
“The crater was created by the bomb. When we carried out the excavations, we found evidence of burning. It smelled of sulphur,” Iakovides said.
The immediate losses were buried in a temporary grave inside the crater behind what is now the mortuary area of Nicosia General Hospital.
Due to the summer heat and the emergency conditions, bodies were wrapped in blankets and sheets before being buried.
“They were burned. The smell was unbelievable,” the archaeologist recalled.
Cypress trees helped locate burial site
The process that eventually led to the excavations began decades later.
In May 1993, nurse Takis Agathokleous, who had been on duty during the bombing, planted 11 cypress trees at the site as a marker for the suspected burial area.
A test excavation carried out on 3 August 2017 confirmed witness accounts when archaeologists discovered blankets and human remains.
The full excavation began on 1 November 2017. Teams removed asbestos and construction material before completing the recovery of skeletal remains belonging to at least 10 people.
Seven victims were later identified – six Greek Cypriots and one Turkish Cypriot.
Memories of the excavation
Iakovides said the excavation was an emotional experience for the archaeological team.
At a depth of around 2.5 metres, researchers found remains as described by witnesses, wrapped in blankets and sheets.
“We found glasses that had been embedded in them, construction materials and glass medicine ampoules marked Serenace. One person was still holding one in his folded hand,” he said.
He also recalled finding a woman’s red nylon dress that had remained preserved decades later.
“Even though the excavation took place 43 years later, the soil smelled of sulphur and there was a black layer of burning inside the crater,” he said.
Nurse recalls the day of the attack
Former nurse Tasos Christodoulou, who was on duty on 20 July 1974, recalled the chaos that followed the bombing.
He said the attacks began after Turkish aircraft were seen in the area and that the hospital was struck as military targets nearby were being attacked.
“We started collecting the dead patients, around 20 people. They were transferred by trucks to the mortuary of the old Nicosia General Hospital,” he said.
He described the scene as one of complete destruction, with injured patients being treated by hospital staff and doctors.
“These images never leave your mind,” he said.
Memorial honours those who died
The story of the Athalassa Hospital bombing also includes the case of Yiannakis Charalambous, a young patient from Katydhata who was among those killed.
After becoming ill at the age of three and suffering developmental difficulties, Yiannakis was admitted to Athalassa Hospital in 1972. He died during the bombing two years later.
His identified remains were buried in July 2023.
A memorial listing the names of those killed was erected in February 2023 near the former hospital area at Nicosia General Hospital.
Former Presidential Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs Fotis Fotiou later apologised for the delayed handling of the cases, saying answers that families deserved “could and should have been given many years earlier”.
Source: CNA
Also read: ON THIS DAY: Cyprus mourned the death of Makarios III (1977)
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