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.
Source: Azatutyun.am
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