17:17,
YEREVAN, AUGUST 16, ARMENPRESS. The Embassy of Mexico to Armenia (stationed in Moscow) offered condolences over the market explosion in Yerevan.
“The Embassy of Mexico expresses its sincere condolences to the people and the Government of Armenia, as well as to the families of the victims, and wishes a speedy recovery to those injured after the explosion at Surmalu market in Yerevan,” the embassy tweeted.
17:22,
YEREVAN, AUGUST 16, ARMENPRESS. As of 17:00 the death toll in the Surmalu market explosion stands at 16, and the number of those unaccounted for is 3.
One of the 16 victims is unidentified, the ministry of emergency situations said.
19:17,
YEREVAN, AUGUST 16, ARMENPRESS. By the decision of Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, mourning was declared on August 17-18, 2022 in memory of the citizens who died as a result of the fire and explosion that occurred at "Surmalu" shopping center, ARMENPRESS reports the Prime Minister's decision is posted on the website.
https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1090453.html?fbclid=IwAR3zu1MDaomM7BXnJpeL2dgBLzfszziFHaDYi4U8o_jjV7400cYEh4-P3YM
20:22,
YEREVAN, AUGUST 16, ARMENPRESS. Marija Pejčinović Burić, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, sent a condolence message to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan regarding the explosion in Yerevan's "Surmalu" shopping center, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister. The message reads as follows,
“Dear Prime Minister,
It is with deep sadness that I learned about the tragic incident at Surmalu market in Yerevan, as a result of which many have lost their lives, have been injured or are still missing.
On behlaf of the Council of Europe, I would like to express our condolences to the families of the victims and to your authorities. We commend those who work valiantly to rescue possible survivors and send our sincere wishes for a prompt and rapid recovery to all those injured”.
20:50,
YEREVAN, AUGUST 16, ARMENPRESS. As of now, 2 people are considered missing in the territory of "Surmalu" shopping center, ARMENPRESS reports Minister of Emergency Situations Armen Pambukhchyan told the journalists.
"There is a change among the missing, currently we have two actual missing persons, 16 found bodies, one of which has not been identified. In other words, it is assumed that if the identity of one of the two missing persons is found out, one person will remain missing," Pambukhchian said.
According to the Minister, the relatives of the allegedly missing Russian citizen contacted and it turned out that he underwent a surgery under completely different conditions and is in the hospital.
21:04,
YEREVAN, AUGUST 16, ARMENPRESS. The rescuers continue the search and rescue operations of the citizens in the area of the "Surmalu" shopping center that did not collapse, ARMENPRESS reports Minister of Emergency Situations Armen Pambukhchyan told the journalists.
According to Armen Pambukhchyan, after the end of the search and rescue work, the issue of dismantling the remaining part of the building will be discussed.
When asked whether there may still be explosive materials in the basement, storage areas, the minister said that 50-60 percent of the area has already been cleared and if there were such materials, they would have been found by now.
"According to preliminary estimates, there were 4 tons before the explosion," added the minister.
Artsakh also declares August 17-18 mourning days
21:29,
YEREVAN, AUGUST 16, ARMENPRESS. By the decision of the President of the Republic of Artsakh, Arayik Harutyunyan, August 17-18, 2022 are declared public mourning days in connection with the explosion in the "Surmalu" shopping center, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the President of Artsakh.
“The heads of all state departments and local self-government bodies of the Republic of Artsakh have been instructed to lower the state flag of the Republic of Artsakh and in the representations of the Republic of Artsakh in foreign countries on days of mourning," says the President’s decree.
Aug 16 (Reuters) – Rescuers have recovered more bodies from the site of a fireworks warehouse blast in Armenia, raising the death toll from Sunday's explosion to 16, the emergencies ministry said on Tuesday.
Seventeen people remain missing, it said in a statement, after blasts ripped through the warehouse in a market in the Armenian capital of Yerevan on Sunday, causing parts of the building to collapse and injuring at least 60 people.
Emergencies minister Armen Pambukhchyan said a pregnant woman and а young child were among the dead, and that search and rescue efforts were ongoing as of Tuesday morning.
Video shared by the emergencies ministry showed rescuers sifting through a smouldering pile of rubble and twisted metal.
It was not clear what caused the blast, which took place in the large Surmalu market, although authorities have ruled out terrorism.
The Armenpress news agency cited the government as saying it would declare a day of mourning after the rescue operation is over. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan visited the scene along with officials on Monday, the emergencies ministry said.
The NextGen team. Photos courtesy of the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry
LOS ANGELES— NextGen, a subsidiary of the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry, was recently launched in Los Angeles to encourage youth participation in the activities and mission of the organization.
The establishment of NextGen was initiated by Eric Markarian, a Stanford student who has been a longtime ABMDR volunteer. Now also serving on the ABMDR Board of Advisors, Markarian said NextGen aims to support the life-saving mission and pan-Armenian vision of the organization by increasing youth engagement in its work and establishing ABMDR groups on college and high-school campuses. “We see NextGen building a wide network and holding significant influence, and utilizing them to increase youth participation in the mission of ABMDR at various academic institutions across the United States,” Markarian said.
NextGen team members including Eric Markarian (center) sitting next to his mother, Dr. Ramella Markarian, a longtime ABMDR supporter and a member of the organization’s Board of Directors. Photos courtesy of the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry
“I commend Eric and his young colleagues for their vision and spirit of activism,” said Dr. Frieda Jordan, president of ABMDR. “I have no doubt that, as the next generation of ABMDR, members of NextGen will promote a high level of youth involvement in our work and support its mission, which is to save lives by recruiting and providing matched unrelated donors for bone marrow or stem cell transplantation to all Armenian and non-Armenian patients worldwide.”
NextGen team members with ABMDR president Dr. Frieda Jordan. Photos courtesy of the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry
Markarian added that Next-Gen will also collaborate with the ABMDR Board, researchers, and physicians to initiate academic-research projects and publications in various medical fields.
Established in 1999, ABMDR, a nonprofit organization, helps Armenians and non-Armenians worldwide survive life-threatening blood-related illnesses by recruiting and matching donors to those requiring bone marrow stem cell transplants. To date, the registry has recruited over 33,500 donors in 44 countries across four continents, identified over 9,000 patients, and facilitated 39 bone marrow transplants. For more information, call (323) 663-3609 or visit the website.