Lagerfeuer löst Katastrophe aus

Versteckte Weltkriegsbombe explodiert bei Flitterwochen-Wanderung: Braut schwer verletzt, 2 Tote

SONDERKONDITIONEN: Satzpreis! Lidiia and Norbert were married in Binfield, Berkshire (PA Real Life/Monika Sani Photography) *** Honeymoon tragedy kills bride's brother and lands
her in hospital after WWI bomb explodes beneath
their campfire
By Jack Clover, PA Real Life
One minute two newlyweds were warming their hands over a campfire in an idyllic forest
clearing as they celebrated their honeymoon.
The next they were at the centre of a bloodbath, as a buried WWI bomb roared back to
life beneath the flames and exploded - landing the bride in hospital after shrapnel ripped
at her body and killing her younger brother.
Just moments before the tragedy, Norbert Varga, 43, a keen photographer, had nipped
back to the tent he was sharing with his new wife Lidiia Makarchuk, 31, t o grab a camera,
so he could capture an image of the Milky Way - clearly visible in the night sky.
Radio technician Norbert, of Bracknell, Berkshire, said: "I went to my tent around 9pm.
"While I was packing my equipment the sound of an explosion and scr eams broke the
silence.
I ran to the bonfire as fast as I could, screaming Lidiia's name."
The couple, who married in church in Binfield, Berkshire, in the summer, before spending
their wedding weekend in Bath, Somerset, delayed their honeymoon until Se ptember so
they could visit accountant Lidiia's native Ukraine and celebrate with her family and
friends.
The highlight was a trek along a well-signposted tourist route as part of a group of 12,
including her brother Myroslav Makarchuk, 29, through the pi cturesque Carpathian
Mountains in western Ukraine, near the border with Hungary, before a night camping
beneath the stars.
Building a fire on a spot which had been used before, so as not to damage the beautiful
environment, the group sat around it telling stories as the light faded.
But at 9pm on Wednesday 15 September, as Norbert was fetching his camera, a whistling
sound came from the fire, followed by an earth-shattering blast - hurling the campers
apart as the hidden bomb - left behind by Austro-Hungarian troops over 100 years ago exploded.
Lidiia, who moved to the UK in January 2017, lay for hours in the darkness with shrapnel
wounds all over her face and limbs, waiting for medical help to arrive, as she listened to
the dying gasps of her brother lying beside her - his brain visible through his skull, which
had been torn open by shrapnel.
Speaking from the Ukrainian hospital where she is being treated, she said: For one hour
my brother was making this unearthly gurgling sound.
"My one regret is not calling out to him to tell him I loved him."
After losing her father a week before their wedding on July 27, and following a year of
Covid lockdowns, Lidiia had been delighted to see her Ukrainian family when she and
Norbert arrived in the country on 4 September.
She especially could not wait for Norbert, who hails from Hungary but has lived in the UK
since 2018, to bond with her brother during their camping trip.
I hadnt been back to Ukraine for years, so I had lots of appointments and people to se e.
After all that I just wanted to go to the mountains for a night to rest," she said.
A childhood friend had put a group of six men, four women and two children together for
the adventure - entailing a two-hour hike to the popular beauty spot, where they set up
camp overlooking Mount Hoverla, the country's tallest mountain.
Overjoyed to be joining them, her brother Myroslav was full of stories - with no idea that in
a few hours he and another man in the group would be killed by the bomb blast, which
also left several others injured.
"He was so happy to see us and I him. I will miss him so much," said Lidiia.
Arriving at the viewpoint in the late afternoon, the outlook was spectacular.
It was amazing. It was sunny. It was warm and you could see all the mountains. We
were up there at 5pm and sunset was at 8pm. It was breathtaking," she recalled.
Using a spot that had clearly been used by other tourists, so as not to damage the
landscape, they built a fire, which became the focal point as they sipped te a.
Telling her friends how Norbert won her heart after complimenting her shoes in church
back in 2019, Lidiia could not have felt happier.
We were just sitting by the fire, drinking tea, chatting, taking photos," she said. "The fire
made a special atmosphere, and we had a lot to say. It had been such a long time since
wed all seen each other."
But, at 9pm, with the two children aged two and five sleeping in a tent out of harm's way,
as Norbert fetched his camera and two other men collected more firewoo d, their lives
changed in a moment.
As Lidiia sat by the fire with three female friends and Myroslav and another male friend to
her right, the bomb exploded, killing both men.
In one second, I felt like someone had taken a rock and thrown it in my face, in my nose
especially, then I had a whistling in my ears followed by a silence where I could hear only
myself," she said.
"I turned away and covered my
Lidiia und Norbert heirateten in Binfield, Berkshire.
action press

Es sollte ein unvergessliches Erlebnis unter freiem Himmel werden und endete in einer Katastrophe: Eine versteckte Weltkriegsbombe hat in der Ukraine zwei Menschen bei einer Flitterwochen-Wanderung in den Tod gerissen. Die Braut und mehrere ihrer Freunde wurden schwer verletzt. Jetzt bittet das Brautpaar verzweifelt um Spenden und erzählt, wie die letzten Sekunden am Lagerfeuer verliefen.

Ein Gefühl, als hätte Lidiia jemand einen Stein ins Gesicht geworfen

Lidiia Makarchuk verlor ihren Bruder in einem Moment, in dem sie kaum glücklicher hätte sein können. Sie saß am Lagerfeuer, über ihr leuchteten die Sterne, um sie herum die Menschen, die ihr am liebsten waren. Dann ein Zischen, ein Lichtblitz und ein Gefühl, als hätte ihr jemand einen Stein ins Gesicht geworfen. Es ist das tragische Ende einer Wanderung, das niemand hätte ahnen können.

Die Ukrainerin lebt in Großbritannien, heiratete dort im Sommer ihren Ehemann Norbert Varga. Die Flitterwochen verbrachte das Paar in der Ukraine, wo Lidiia seit Jahren nicht mehr war. Das Paar wollte dort mit seinen Freunden feiern. Lidiias Bruder Myroslav hatte eine Wanderung mit Übernachtung in den Karpaten organisiert. Die zwölfköpfige Gruppe besteht aus alten Freunden, sie haben sich viel zu erzählen, wandern durch einsame Täler und scheinbar endlose Wälder. Am Fuß des höchsten Berges des Landes, dem Hoverla, schlagen sie ihr Nachtlager auf. Sie entzünden ein Lagerfeuer, trinken Tee, machen Fotos. Die Stimmung könnte besser nicht sein.

Bombe in der Ukraine stammte aus dem Ersten Weltkrieg

SONDERKONDITIONEN: Satzpreis! Lidiia (right) by the campfire with her friends moments before the tragedy (PA Real Life) *** Honeymoon tragedy kills bride's brother and lands
her in hospital after WWI bomb explodes beneath
their campfire
By Jack Clover, PA Real Life
One minute two newlyweds were warming their hands over a campfire in an idyllic forest
clearing as they celebrated their honeymoon.
The next they were at the centre of a bloodbath, as a buried WWI bomb roared back to
life beneath the flames and exploded - landing the bride in hospital after shrapnel ripped
at her body and killing her younger brother.
Just moments before the tragedy, Norbert Varga, 43, a keen photographer, had nipped
back to the tent he was sharing with his new wife Lidiia Makarchuk, 31, t o grab a camera,
so he could capture an image of the Milky Way - clearly visible in the night sky.
Radio technician Norbert, of Bracknell, Berkshire, said: "I went to my tent around 9pm.
"While I was packing my equipment the sound of an explosion and scr eams broke the
silence.
I ran to the bonfire as fast as I could, screaming Lidiia's name."
The couple, who married in church in Binfield, Berkshire, in the summer, before spending
their wedding weekend in Bath, Somerset, delayed their honeymoon until Se ptember so
they could visit accountant Lidiia's native Ukraine and celebrate with her family and
friends.
The highlight was a trek along a well-signposted tourist route as part of a group of 12,
including her brother Myroslav Makarchuk, 29, through the pi cturesque Carpathian
Mountains in western Ukraine, near the border with Hungary, before a night camping
beneath the stars.
Building a fire on a spot which had been used before, so as not to damage the beautiful
environment, the group sat around it telling stories as the light faded.
But at 9pm on Wednesday 15 September, as Norbert was fetching his camera, a whistling
sound came from the fire, followed by an earth-shattering blast - hurling the campers
apart as the hidden bomb - left behind by Austro-Hungarian troops over 100 years ago exploded.
Lidiia, who moved to the UK in January 2017, lay for hours in the darkness with shrapnel
wounds all over her face and limbs, waiting for medical help to arrive, as she listened to
the dying gasps of her brother lying beside her - his brain visible through his skull, which
had been torn open by shrapnel.
Speaking from the Ukrainian hospital where she is being treated, she said: For one hour
my brother was making this unearthly gurgling sound.
"My one regret is not calling out to him to tell him I loved him."
After losing her father a week before their wedding on July 27, and following a year of
Covid lockdowns, Lidiia had been delighted to see her Ukrainian family when she and
Norbert arrived in the country on 4 September.
She especially could not wait for Norbert, who hails from Hungary but has lived in the UK
since 2018, to bond with her brother during their camping trip.
I hadnt been back to Ukraine for years, so I had lots of appointments and people to se e.
After all that I just wanted to go to the mountains for a night to rest," she said.
A childhood friend had put a group of six men, four women and two children together for
the adventure - entailing a two-hour hike to the popular beauty spot, where they set up
camp overlooking Mount Hoverla, the country's tallest mountain.
Overjoyed to be joining them, her brother Myroslav was full of stories - with no idea that in
a few hours he and another man in the group would be killed by the bomb blast, which
also left several others injured.
"He was so happy to see us and I him. I will miss him so much," said Lidiia.
Arriving at the viewpoint in the late afternoon, the outlook was spectacular.
It was amazing. It was sunny. It was warm and you could see all the mountains. We
were up there at 5pm and sunset was at 8pm. It was breathtaking," she recalled.
Using a spot that had clearly been used by other tourists, so as not to damage the
landscape, they built a fire, which became the focal point as they sipped te a.
Telling her friends how Norbert won her heart after complimenting her shoes in church
back in 2019, Lidiia could not have felt happier.
We were just sitting by the fire, drinking tea, chatting, taking photos," she said. "The fire
made a special atmosphere, and we had a lot to say. It had been such a long time since
wed all seen each other."
But, at 9pm, with the two children aged two and five sleeping in a tent out of harm's way,
as Norbert fetched his camera and two other men collected more firewoo d, their lives
changed in a moment.
As Lidiia sat by the fire with three female friends and Myroslav and another male friend to
her right, the bomb exploded, killing both men.
In one second, I felt like someone had taken a rock and thrown it in my face, in my nose
especially, then I had a whistling in my ears followed by a silence where I could hear only
myself," she said.
"I turned away and covered my fac
Die Gruppe am Lagerfeuer kurz vor der Explosion. Rechts im Bild Lidiia, ihr Bruder steht links neben ihr am Baum.
action press

Gegen 21 Uhr entschließt sich ihr Ehemann, seinen Fotoapparat aus dem Zelt zu holen, um ein Bild der Milchstraße zu machen. Währenddessen hört der Rest der Gruppe plötzlich ein merkwürdiges Zischen aus dem Feuer. Kurz darauf erschüttert eine Explosion die Stille. Menschen schreien. Das Feuer hat eine versteckte Bombe aus dem Ersten Weltkrieg detonieren lassen. Norbert Varga eilt aus dem Zelt, schreit Lidiias Namen.

Seine Frau liegt in der Dunkelheit, Schrapnellwunden im ganzen Gesicht. Ihre Hände sind bis auf die Knochen aufgerissen. „Ich wandte mich ab, bedeckte mein Gesicht mit meinen Händen und fing an, für mich selbst zu beten“, erzählt Lidiia im Interview mit ‘Action Press’. „Dann wurde mir klar, dass es nicht nur mir so ging. Alle stöhnten, alle hatten Schmerzen.“ Auch ihre Augen sind verletzt, die 31-Jährige kann sie kaum öffnen. Mittlerweile sei sie glücklich darüber – es habe sie davor bewahrt, wahrzunehmen, was um sie herum passierte.

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Erst nach sieben Stunden kommen die Verletzten ins Krankenhaus

SONDERKONDITIONEN: Satzpreis! Lidiia in hospital (PA Real Life) *** Honeymoon tragedy kills bride's brother and lands
her in hospital after WWI bomb explodes beneath
their campfire
By Jack Clover, PA Real Life
One minute two newlyweds were warming their hands over a campfire in an idyllic forest
clearing as they celebrated their honeymoon.
The next they were at the centre of a bloodbath, as a buried WWI bomb roared back to
life beneath the flames and exploded - landing the bride in hospital after shrapnel ripped
at her body and killing her younger brother.
Just moments before the tragedy, Norbert Varga, 43, a keen photographer, had nipped
back to the tent he was sharing with his new wife Lidiia Makarchuk, 31, t o grab a camera,
so he could capture an image of the Milky Way - clearly visible in the night sky.
Radio technician Norbert, of Bracknell, Berkshire, said: "I went to my tent around 9pm.
"While I was packing my equipment the sound of an explosion and scr eams broke the
silence.
I ran to the bonfire as fast as I could, screaming Lidiia's name."
The couple, who married in church in Binfield, Berkshire, in the summer, before spending
their wedding weekend in Bath, Somerset, delayed their honeymoon until Se ptember so
they could visit accountant Lidiia's native Ukraine and celebrate with her family and
friends.
The highlight was a trek along a well-signposted tourist route as part of a group of 12,
including her brother Myroslav Makarchuk, 29, through the pi cturesque Carpathian
Mountains in western Ukraine, near the border with Hungary, before a night camping
beneath the stars.
Building a fire on a spot which had been used before, so as not to damage the beautiful
environment, the group sat around it telling stories as the light faded.
But at 9pm on Wednesday 15 September, as Norbert was fetching his camera, a whistling
sound came from the fire, followed by an earth-shattering blast - hurling the campers
apart as the hidden bomb - left behind by Austro-Hungarian troops over 100 years ago exploded.
Lidiia, who moved to the UK in January 2017, lay for hours in the darkness with shrapnel
wounds all over her face and limbs, waiting for medical help to arrive, as she listened to
the dying gasps of her brother lying beside her - his brain visible through his skull, which
had been torn open by shrapnel.
Speaking from the Ukrainian hospital where she is being treated, she said: For one hour
my brother was making this unearthly gurgling sound.
"My one regret is not calling out to him to tell him I loved him."
After losing her father a week before their wedding on July 27, and following a year of
Covid lockdowns, Lidiia had been delighted to see her Ukrainian family when she and
Norbert arrived in the country on 4 September.
She especially could not wait for Norbert, who hails from Hungary but has lived in the UK
since 2018, to bond with her brother during their camping trip.
I hadnt been back to Ukraine for years, so I had lots of appointments and people to se e.
After all that I just wanted to go to the mountains for a night to rest," she said.
A childhood friend had put a group of six men, four women and two children together for
the adventure - entailing a two-hour hike to the popular beauty spot, where they set up
camp overlooking Mount Hoverla, the country's tallest mountain.
Overjoyed to be joining them, her brother Myroslav was full of stories - with no idea that in
a few hours he and another man in the group would be killed by the bomb blast, which
also left several others injured.
"He was so happy to see us and I him. I will miss him so much," said Lidiia.
Arriving at the viewpoint in the late afternoon, the outlook was spectacular.
It was amazing. It was sunny. It was warm and you could see all the mountains. We
were up there at 5pm and sunset was at 8pm. It was breathtaking," she recalled.
Using a spot that had clearly been used by other tourists, so as not to damage the
landscape, they built a fire, which became the focal point as they sipped te a.
Telling her friends how Norbert won her heart after complimenting her shoes in church
back in 2019, Lidiia could not have felt happier.
We were just sitting by the fire, drinking tea, chatting, taking photos," she said. "The fire
made a special atmosphere, and we had a lot to say. It had been such a long time since
wed all seen each other."
But, at 9pm, with the two children aged two and five sleeping in a tent out of harm's way,
as Norbert fetched his camera and two other men collected more firewoo d, their lives
changed in a moment.
As Lidiia sat by the fire with three female friends and Myroslav and another male friend to
her right, the bomb exploded, killing both men.
In one second, I felt like someone had taken a rock and thrown it in my face, in my nose
especially, then I had a whistling in my ears followed by a silence where I could hear only
myself," she said.
"I turned away and covered my face with my hands and started praying for myself.
"Then I
Lidiia kam erst sieben Stunden nach der Explosion ins Krankenhaus
action press

Neben Lidiia liegt ihr Bruder mit einer Wunde am Kopf, sein Gehirn ist sichtbar. Eine Stunde hört sie seine röchelnden Atemgeräusche, bis er schließlich stirbt. „Er war so glücklich, uns wiederzusehen. Ich bereue es, ihm nicht gesagt zu haben, dass ich ihn liebe“, sagt Lidiia. Auch ein weiterer Freund von ihr verliert sein Leben bei dem Unglück. Erst nach 90 Minuten erreichen die Rettungskräfte die Verletzten. Um vier Uhr morgens kommen die anderen Verletzten schließlich im Krankenhaus an – sieben qualvolle Stunden nach der Explosion.

Lidiia, die auch ihren Vater eine Woche vor der Hochzeit am 27. Juli verlor, hat keine Reiseversicherung, um die Kosten für die Gesundheitsversorgung abzudecken. Eine Freundin sammelt jetzt auf der Crowdfunding-Plattform „GoFundMe“ Spenden. „Ich denke immer noch, was hätte ich mehr tun können? Warum nicht ich? Warum sie?“, sagt ihr Ehemann Norbert. "Kriegsfilme kommen dem am nächsten, was ich in dieser Nacht erlebt habe, ich werde es nie vergessen." (mst)