THE ENTIRE CABINET in Cyprus resigned yesterday for a reshuffle aimed at addressing an economic and energy crisis caused by a blast that knocked out its main power station and killed 13 people.

The President, Dimitris Christofias, was under pressure for the reshuffle after ministers of defence and foreign affairs resigned over the explosion of seized Iranian munitions.

Some Cypriots called on Christofias to resign following the incident.

EU experts estimate that the blast’s cost to the island’s €17.4 billion economy will be over €2 billion while damage to the Vasiliko power station alone — which generated more than half the island’s power output and will take a year to become fully operational again — is estimated at €700-800 million.

The government and opposition leaders agreed last week on a first package of cost-cutting measures to buoy the economy in the wake of the blast.

- AP