01:00Armenia: 15 servicemen killed in fire at military unit near Azat village - DefMin
Fifteen servicemen were killed after a fire in a military unit near the village of Azat in the Gegharkunik region of Armenia, according to the country’s Ministry of Defence press service on Thursday.
Footage shows damaged buildings on the territory of the barracks and fragments of walls.
"According to preliminary data, as a result of a fire that occurred in the shelter of the engineering sniper company of the N military unit of the Ministry of Defence, 15 servicemen were killed," the report stated.
Later, Armenian Defence Minister Suren Papikyan stated that the fire was caused by the use of gasoline for heating, which is a violation of safety rules.
"According to preliminary data, prohibited gasoline was used to heat the barracks," he said.
Following the fire, Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan appointed a new commander of the second corps of the armed forces to replace Colonel Vahram Grigoryan, the press service of the presidential office reported.
"Taking as a basis the Prime Minister's proposal to appoint Garegin Poghosyan as the commander of the second army corps," the decree read.
01:00Fifteen servicemen were killed after a fire in a military unit near the village of Azat in the Gegharkunik region of Armenia, according to the country’s Ministry of Defence press service on Thursday.
Footage shows damaged buildings on the territory of the barracks and fragments of walls.
"According to preliminary data, as a result of a fire that occurred in the shelter of the engineering sniper company of the N military unit of the Ministry of Defence, 15 servicemen were killed," the report stated.
Later, Armenian Defence Minister Suren Papikyan stated that the fire was caused by the use of gasoline for heating, which is a violation of safety rules.
"According to preliminary data, prohibited gasoline was used to heat the barracks," he said.
Following the fire, Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan appointed a new commander of the second corps of the armed forces to replace Colonel Vahram Grigoryan, the press service of the presidential office reported.
"Taking as a basis the Prime Minister's proposal to appoint Garegin Poghosyan as the commander of the second army corps," the decree read.