Three hospitalised after chlorine gas leak at power station in north Cyprus

Three Turkish Cypriot workers were on Tuesday taken to hospital after they injured by a chlorine gas leak at a power station in Kyrenia (Teknecik) they were trying to mend.

They showed symptoms of nausea and discomfort.

Emergency teams from the environmental service and civil defence responded.

Northern Cyprus media reported that procedures are underway to remove employees from the site safely.

The leak comes amid rising tensions between unions and local authorities.

A strike planned by the Turkish Cypriot Electricity Authority (Kib-Tek) workers’ union, El-Sen, was recently banned by the authorities for 60 days.

The union had cited lack of investment and serious safety risks for staff and the public at the station as reasons for the strike.

Union representatives criticised the ban at a joint press conference outside the station.

El-Sen president Ahmet Tugcu said authorities prefer to ban strikes rather than solve underlying problems. He accused management of mismanaging the electricity authority and questioned what would happen after the strike ban ends.

Tugcu also claimed that two workers were transferred after sharing information about the authority’s situation.

Türk-Sen president Arslan Bicakli said the right to strike is constitutional and accused the authorities of ignoring unions. He added that officials should not assume they can act without accountability.

BES union president Mustafa Yalinkaya described the country’s leadership as a “gang of 11 people, led by Unal Ustel,” adding that Turkish Cypriots will not bow to anyone.