During the Turkish invasion at the north of the island, members of the Greek Cypriot paramilitary group EOKA B took hostage more than 80 Turkish Cypriot men from the village of Tochni and the nearby village of Zygi, including minor boys of age 13.

According to the only survivor of the massacre, Suat Hussein Kafadar, the Turks were taken to the village of Palodia, where they were executed with automatic guns.

[8] Kafadar said in an interview that a Greek military officer with three stars spoke with them during the night and reassured them that they would not get hurt.

[9] The atrocity took place the same day as the massacre of Maratha, Santalaris and Aloda, again by Greek Cypriots members of EOKA B.

In 2016, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis, said "I apologize to the Turkish Cypriots for 126 women and children killed in Aloda, Maratha and Santalaris and 85 civilian men killed in Tochni as a result of the horrific murders committed by EOKA B extremists on 14 August 1974.".