News - Criminal case opened into explosion at Yerevan-Sevan motorway gas station

Criminal proceedings have been initiated into the explosion at a gas station on the Yerevan-Sevan motorway, the Investigative Committee of Armenia informs Armenian News-NEWS.am. Several respective forensic examinations have been ordered. Actions are being taken to find out the cause and circumstances of this explosion. We reported earlier that at 11:14pm Thursday, the National Center for Crisis Management was reported that an explosion and a subsequent fire had occurred at gas station on the Yerevan-Sevan motorway. Fire and rescue squads were dispatched to the scene. The Director of the Rescue Service-Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Armenia, Kamo Tsutsulyan, also was at the scene of the incident. According to preliminary data, a liquefied gas tank exploded at a gas and gasoline station on the Yerevan-Sevan motorway, causing a fire. S. (born in 1980) and G. Ch. (born in 1991) were first taken to Surb Grigor Lusavorich Medical Center in Yerevan, but then to the National Center of Burns and Dermatology, where doctors said they are in severe condition. H. (born in 2007), H. Kh. (born in 2001), M. G. (born in 1989), A. A. (born in 1990), and L. S. (born in 1963) were transferred to the Abovyan city hospital. L.H. was treated and discharged, whereas the others were transferred to the National Center of Burns and Dermatology. As of 8:20am, there is no open fire at the Yerevan-Sevan motorway explosion area, and cooling work is being carried out. Fire and rescue squads are on duty at the site, regularly carrying out cooling and freezing operations. Hetq.am online newspaper reports that this gas station was being operated without expertise, and its operation was suspended several times.