Armenian rescuers end search for only missing person after Surmalu blast

YEREVAN, August 24. /ARKA/. Armenia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations has completed the search for the person who was missing since August 14 after a powerful explosion at fireworks warehouse at Surmalu trading center in Yerevan killed 16 people and injured another 63.

The spokesman of the Ministry Hayk Kostanyan said in a Facebook post that the search for the citizen thought to be missing had been conducted in recent days at the likely epicenter of the explosion.

"A detailed search was conducted at the epicenter of the explosion and throughout the surrounding area, with repeated searches in some areas. Unfortunately, no citizen's body or remains were found. Within 43 hours after the fire and the subsequent explosion at the warehouse rescuers pulled out 26 citizens from under the rubble, including 10 alive and 16 dead," Kostanyan said.

Armenia’s Investigative Committee said earlier there were no facts in favor of a version that the explosion at Surmalu shopping center.

"The evidence obtained so far indicates that it was a criminal negligence," the head of the committee Argishti Kyaramyan said.

The Investigative Committee opened two criminal cases in connection with the explosion under the article of violation of fire safety rules and violation of rules of storage, accounting, transportation, or use of flammable or combustible substances, resulting by negligence in human death or other grave consequences.

Armenia declared two days of national mourning on August 17-18 for the victims of the explosion that occurred at a fireworks warehouse last Sunday killing 16 people, including a pregnant woman and a child and injuring another 61. One person is still being unaccounted for as of today.

The authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh have also declared two days of mourning for the victims of the explosion. -0-