Eyewitnesses tell details of explosion in Yerevan shopping centre

The explosion in the "Surmalu" wholesale and retail trading centre in Yerevan occurred on August 14. After the explosion, a strong fire broke out in the fireworks warehouse; and part of the building collapsed.

According to the updated information, six people perished in the explosion, the Armenian Ministry for Emergencies (MfE) has reported today. Other 16 people are missing; the number of victims has exceeded 60.

After the explosion and fire, a part of the three-storey building of the pyrotechnics warehouse has collapsed on the neighbouring structures, where shops are located.

"I heard a powerful explosion and saw the blast wave throwing flame, stones and smoke in our direction. This wave threw the car into the air and overturned it right on our store," L. R., who was outside the shopping centre at the moment of the explosion, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

"At first we thought it was war. The explosions were so powerful and prolonged that no one understood what was happening," M. L., an employee of the centre, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. The man has noted that he had barely left the building. He was lucky to be close to the exit; now everything is OK with him.

Armen Khachatryan, an MP from the ruling "Civil Contract" faction, who visited the scene, in his comment to journalists has confirmed that a powerful explosion occurred in the pyrotechnics warehouse. "The storage rules have been violated. I think investigators will establish the cause of the explosion," the MP has noted.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on August 15, 2022 at 00:10 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.