THREE KILLED, FOUR INJURED IN NAIRIT FIRE

ARKA
May 14, 2009

YEREVAN, May 14. /ARKA/. Fire broke out Thursday in Nairit, rubber
giant in Yerevan.

Three people were killed and four injured in the fire.

Rescue crews are searching other four workers.

Colonel Nikolay Grigoryan, chief of the rescue service affiliated
to Armenian Emergency Ministry, said the fire caused by an explosion
was seen from every corner of the city.

Twelve fire-fighting vehicles were sent to the scene.

According to unofficial information, Nairit’s chloroprene mill and
reactors were on fire.

The police immediately ringed the building at one-kilometer distance.

ARKA News Agency’s correspondent says there was burnt rubber smell
around.

People leaving in nearby houses were evacuated.

Health Minister Harutyun Kushkyan told journalists that one man was
rushed to Erebuni Hospital.

The minister promised to provide more detailed information later,
after seeing the situation on the site.

Head of "Emergency" Artem Petrosyan, in his turn, stated six emergency
crews, four medical and two crews for transportation of bodies are
working in the site of occurrence.

"People with light burns also turn to doctor’s help and the medical
assistance is rendered on the spot," he said.

Rescue service of Armenia is searching for four missing workers of
the Armenian "Nairit" plant who were in the factory at the20time of
the explosion.

Colonel Nikolay Grigoryan said no cases of harmful or toxic waste
were recorded in the result of the explosion and fire in the factory.

All responsible people are in the administrative building of the
factory.

Nairit was the only plant producing chloroprene rubber in the Soviet
Union’s territory.

The factory produces polichloroprene under "Nairit" brand since
1940. After a long stop the factory’s operation was resumed in
1992-1993.

In 2006, 90% of the company’s shares were sold to British "Rhinoville
Property Limited" for $40mln, with the remaining 10% belonging to
Armenian Government.

The average monthly capacity of the factory is 700-750tons of
production, however the real monthly production varies from 900-950tons
to 500tons of chloroprene rubber.

According to the last information (20:55) three people died and 17
rescuers were injured because of the fire.