Fifteen dead, three wounded in Armenian military barrack fire

JAMnews

Yerevan

Fire in Armenian military barrack

“Fifteen soldiers were killed in a fire at a military barrack in the village of Azat, Gegharkunik region. A terrible incident,” Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at a government meeting. According to preliminary information, a fire broke out in the building after someone kindled a wood-burning stove with gasoline. The Investigative Committee has already opened a criminal case.

The parliamentary opposition considers the death of soldiers in peaceful conditions unacceptable. The authorities are ready to take political responsibility for what happened, but they do not agree with “putting all the blame on one person”, namely the Minister of Defense.

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The Armenian Ministry of Defense reported the incident by 8 am, according to which the fire in the barrack occurred on January 19 at about 01:30.

Later, Defense Ministry spokesman Aram Torosyan said that fifteen soldiers had been killed, with three more in serious condition.

On the cause of the fire

According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, the fire resulted from a violation of fire safety rules when lighting a stove with gasoline.

The Prime Minister also said that, according to preliminary data, a large amount of gasoline was used:

“There was an attempt to light the stove using a five-liter container filled with gasoline. When a fire had already started, the fire passed from the stove to [spilled] gasoline, and the fire spread to an officer who was trying to light the stove. From the instinct of self-preservation, the container of gasoline was thrown toward the other end of the barracks, with a high degree of probability, unintentionally.

According to Pashinyan, “the use of gasoline and other types of flammable liquids to light stoves” is strictly prohibited, as also recalled by the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces on December 21, 2022.

“Basic observance of this order would allow us to avoid such incidents,” Pashinyan said.

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Condition of the wounded

Health Minister Anahit Avanesyan said at a government meeting that three wounded soldiers are in a burn center. Two of them are in intensive care.

“One of the wounded is in better condition, he is in a regular ward,” she said.

Criminal case initiated

“In connection with the fact of the fire, a criminal case was initiated under article 532 of part 4 of the criminal code, it is a violation of the rules for handling substances that pose a threat to others, resulting in the death of two or more persons through negligence,” Argishti Kyaramyan, chairman of the Investigative Committee, said.

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Pashinyan instructed the Minister of Defense to make decisions regarding his subordinates in connection with the fire in the military unit. As the prime minister said, there should be “very specific, individual consequences.” The Minister of Defense has already announced that, in addition to the commander of the army corps, nine more high-ranking servicemen have been fired.

“Unacceptable in peacetime”

Former Minister of Defense and head of the Hayastan opposition faction in parliament, Seyran Ohanyan, described the incident as “incredible and sad.”

“We believe that the Motherland cannot be defended without self-sacrifice, without heroes. But to have such losses in relatively peaceful conditions, without hostilities, is unacceptable,” he said.

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“You can’t dump everything on one person”

Journalists asked the secretary of the ruling Civil Contract faction about political responsibility, in particular the possible resignation of the Defense Minister. Artur Hovhannisyan replied that it would be possible to talk about political responsibility only after details of the case had been clarified:

“The minister is politically responsible, and all of us, the government, are responsible for every situation that happens in our country, but this does not mean that we should try to find scapegoats and put all the responsibility on one person,” he said.