Armenia hit by heatwave - risk of fire

photo: armeniasputnik.am

The temperature has been rising in Armenia and is expected to reach 39℃.

Medics have recommended residents to stay at home during the daytime and stay hydrated. There were media reports that an 18-month-old child died of heat exposure in Yerevan. However, the child’s mother claims that the death was caused by a vaccination that had been done a few days earlier, as the childs’ health started deteriorating shortly after receiving the vaccination. However, medics believe that the death was in fact caused by the heat.

The ministry of emergency situations has issued a fire danger warning, recommending residents to only light bonfires in cases of dire need and extinguish them either with water or soil.

Mass media have periodically reported the warning issued by the Emergency Ministry: refrain from throwing down lit matches and cigarette butts, smoking near vehicles, using vehicles with a faulty fuel system, leaving bottles and glass fragments in places exposed to direct sunlight as they can serve as magnifying glasses and thereby cause fires. The Ministry has also warned against leaving or throwing rags soaked in gasoline, kerosene or other combustible substances in or near the vicinity of areas with dry-grass.