Fireworks explosion in Armenia kills at least 2 and injures 60
A popular market in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, was devastated by a massive explosion at a fireworks storage area on Sunday.
The blast at Surmalu market, which happened early afternoon, killed at least two people, injured 60 others and started a huge fire that raged into the night.
25 people told local authorities their relatives remain unaccounted for on Sunday evening, believing they could still be trapped in the wreckage of a building that collapsed in the blast.
The cause of the explosion remains unknown.
Rescue workers and volunteers searched amid still-exploding fireworks, pulling one dead victim and ten injured people from under slabs of concrete and twisted metal.
Surmalu wholesale market is traditionally very busy on Sundays.
Eyewitnesses reported that the explosion occurred in an area where fireworks were stored, yet the authorities have not confirmed this.
"There is no information at the moment," Alen Simonyan, Chairman of the National Assembly of Armenia told AP reporters on Sunday afternoon. "There is no conclusion [on what caused the blast] yet, but most likely a violation of fire discipline or something like that."
Footage circulating on social media showed a thick plume of black smoke rising high into the sky, with the sound of small detonations crackling in quick succession in the background.
Rescuers used diggers to clear large piles of steaming rubble from the demolished building in an attempt to find survivors.
Many volunteers also got involved, shifting piles of heavy concrete and twisted metal by hand.
"I have never seen anything like this in my life, this is the first time I see such a thing," said local resident Arsen, who did not give his surname.
According to Armenia's Ministry of Emergency
Read more on euronews.com
