Sunday,
Death Toll Rises In Armenian Market Blast
Armenia - Firefighters are fighting a major blaze triggered by an explosion at
the Surmalu market in Yerevan. .
The death toll has risen to three people in the major explosion and fire at a
Yerevan market where firefighters continued to fight the blaze late into the
night, authorities said.
Officials also said at least 61 people, including children, were injured after a
fireworks warehouse at Surmalu, a sprawling wholesale and retail market just
outside the city center, exploded on Sunday afternoon under still unclear
circumstances.
All injured people have been receiving treatment in hospitals in the Armenian
capital, health authorities said.
The Yerevan mayor’s office said a three-story building had partially collapsed
as a result of the explosion, subsequent detonations and fire. It said rescue
operations were underway to pull people, who may have been trapped, out of the
rubble.
Investigators say they will start looking into possible causes of the explosion
and fire once conditions permit.
A major fire at Surmalu in April 2021 destroyed several pavilions and warehouses
with toys and household goods, but no casualties were reported in that fire that
occurred at night.
[see video]
azatutyun.am/a/31987514.html
Mass Evacuations In Yerevan Amid Bomb Threats
The Yerevan metro was closed and people were evacuated from it after bomb
threats. .
Armenian authorities were evacuating people from the metro, trade centers and
other major public facilities in Yerevan on Sunday evening after bomb threats
reportedly made to security services.
The evacuations came hours after a strong blast and fire at a local popular
market killed at least one and injured more than 50 people. Authorities said the
massive blaze was due to an explosion at a local fireworks warehouse.
Tatev Khachatrian, a spokeswoman for Yerevan’s metro, told RFE/RL’s Armenian
Service that the work of the metro had been suspended and people were being
evacuated from all 10 stations.
The Ministry of Emergency Situations said that besides the bomb threat against
the metro, authorities had also received alerts about explosive devices
allegedly having been planted at all major military and civilian facilities,
including all shopping centers, the Zoo, the National Assembly building and St.
Grigor Lusavorich Church in Yerevan.
Authorities say teams of engineers have been dispatched to the scenes.
“Evacuations are being carried out for the safety of the population,” the
ministry said.
No other details were reported immediately.
Later, the Ministry of Emergency Situations said that no bomb had been found in
the metro after search was conducted at all stations and the metro resumed its
work at 9:30 pm..
Similar bomb threats again Yerevan’s metro and other major civilian facilities
and government buildings were also made in July and early August. Those alerts
proved to be false, but authorities have so far not reported any progress in
investigations of those cases.
One Dead, Dozens Injured After Fireworks Blast Starts Fire At Armenian Market
Armenia - An explosion and fire at the Surmalu market in Yerevan, August 14,
2022.
At least one person has been killed and more than 50 people injured in an
explosion that took place in a Yerevan market on Sunday afternoon, causing a
major fire in the sprawling complex just off the city center.
The Ministry of Emergency Situations says firefighters and rescuers are working
on the scene at the popular market called Surmalu where both wholesale and
retail trade is available.
According to Taguhi Stepanian, director of an ambulance service, dozens of
injured people have been taken to different hospitals in the Armenian capital.
It was immediately unclear what caused the blast. Videos posted on social media
showed black smoke rising from the Surmalu market where, among other things,
fireworks and other pyrotechnics are sold.
Levon Sardarian, a spokesman for Yerevan’s municipality, later confirmed reports
that the explosion took place at the fireworks warehouse.
He said rescuers were on the scene trying to pull out injured people from under
the rubble after a three-storey building had partially collapsed.
[see video]
https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.azatutyun.am/a/31987311.html__;!!LIr3w8kk_Xxm!oxA6eZCNcCKbZdvNQy2Biivon4dOfi0-tIJzxOncRI1PY5HJaUmMU6Jrnocyfpc226p8BxcNTqA1$
Reposted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2022 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
