10:48,
YEREVAN, AUGUST 16, ARMENPRESS. President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili extended condolences to the families of the victims of the Yerevan market explosion.
“Deeply saddened by the shocking explosion in Yerevan. I express my deepest condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones, but also strength and resilience to the emergency workers. I stand with the people of Armenia,” President Zourabichvili tweeted.
10:49,
YEREVAN, AUGUST 16, ARMENPRESS. 7 people continue receiving treatment at various hospitals after the Surmalu market explosion. Their condition is assessed as satisfactory, the healthcare ministry said.
All other injured persons were treated and discharged.
11:31,
YEREVAN, AUGUST 16, ARMENPRESS. 13 of the 16 victims who were killed in the Surmalu market explosion are identified, the Ministry of Emergency Situations spokesperson Hayk Kostanyan told reporters.
He said that those identified include the pregnant woman and the child.
“Now the number of those missing is 10,” Kostanyan added.
12:23,
YEREVAN, AUGUST 16, ARMENPRESS. The death toll in the Yerevan market explosion stands at 16 as of midday August 16, the Ministry of Emergency Situations said.
2 of the 16 bodies are yet to be identified.
8 people are missing after the blast.
Those unaccounted for are: Gagik Karapetyan, Artavazd Hayrapetyan, Vanik Amirkhanyan, Kseniya Badalyan, Aram Harutyunyan, Davit Mkhitaryan, Gegham Petrosyan and Mehri Taheri (citizen of Iran).
12:36,
YEREVAN, AUGUST 16, ARMENPRESS. The Embassy of Japan in Armenia offered condolences over the Surmalu market explosion in Yerevan.
“The Embassy of Japan extends heartfelt condolences and deepest sympathies to the people of Armenia over the terrible blast at the “Surmalu” market. At this hard moment of bereavement the people of Japan sincerely share the grief and pain of the families of victims and wish swift recovery to the injured people,” the Embassy of Japan said in a statement.
12:40,
YEREVAN, AUGUST 16, ARMENPRESS. The Albanian Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs extended condolences to the families of the victims of the Yerevan market blast.
“Deeply saddened by the horrible news of the massive explosion at Sumarlu market in Yerevan, Armenia. Our sincere condolences to the families who lost their loved ones. Wishing full and speedy recovery to those injured," the Albanian foreign ministry tweeted.
13:03,
YEREVAN, AUGUST 16, ARMENPRESS. President of Serbia Alexandar Vucic sent a letter of condolences to President of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan over the deadly explosion in the Surmalu trade center in Yerevan.
“Allow me to express my deepest condolences to you and the families of the victims of the tragedy which happened as a result of a fire at a trade center in Yerevan. Please convey sincere sympathies to those who are still searching for their loved ones, and wishes of swift and speedy recovery to those injured,” President Vucic said in the letter.
13:28,
YEREVAN, AUGUST 16, ARMENPRESS. Bomb threats targeting all metro stations in Yerevan as well as the Zvartnots airport were called in August 16.
Search teams and K9 units searched the airport and the Barekamutyun, Charbakh, Shengavir and Marshal Baghramyan metro stations and no explosives were found, the emergencies ministry said.
The search in the remaining metro stations continues.
13:28,
YEREVAN, AUGUST 16, ARMENPRESS. Russian national Lyuba Gribova who was presumed missing in the Yerevan market explosion was found safe and it turned out she wasn’t at the market when the blast occurred, Ministry of Emergency Situations spokesperson Hayk Kostanyan told ARMENPRESS.
“The Russian citizen is safe and sound and wasn’t in the market at the time of the explosion. Her family members thought that she could’ve been at the market because they didn’t have information about her whereabouts. That’s why the call was forwarded to us and we included the name of the person in the list of missing people. As of this moment that person has contacted her family and said that she wasn’t in this area,” Kostanyan said.
13:52,
YEREVAN, AUGUST 16, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Defense of Armenia Suren Papikyan had a meeting with the Minister of Defense of Russia Sergey Shoygu within the framework of the Moscow Conference on International Security, RIA Novosti reports.
Issues related to the activities of the Russian peacekeeping forces in Nagorno Karabakh were discussed, among other issues.
During the meeting the Russian Defense Minister said: “We have issues to discuss, among them are traditional issues related to our military-technical and military cooperation. Of course there are also issues related to our peacekeeping contingent which is carrying out its objectives in Nagorno Karabakh. As before, we are sure, as well as you, that the main stabilizing factor is the ceasefire regime along the entire length of the line of contact.”
Shoygu thanked Papikyan for participation in the opening of the Army 2022 International Military-Industrial Exhibition and the International Army Games 2022 tournament, as well as the Moscow Conference on International Security.
In turn, Armenian Minister of Defense Suren Papikyan said that the August 16 meeting with Shoygu is already their second meeting this year, which shows the high level of the Armenian-Russian collegial bilateral partnership.
“This meeting is very important for us. We highly appreciate the level of the Armenian-Russian parternship, as well as the role of the Russian presence in South Caucasus,” Papikyan said.