Live: Emergency Situations Ministry Deploys Additional Forces as Fire Continues at ‘Malatia Mall’

The fire at 'Malatia Mall' continues, and the Emergency Situations Ministry (ESM) is deploying additional forces to the scene. The chief of police remains on site, and ESM Minister Felix Tsolakyan has also visited. Emergency medical teams are on duty at the location.

An ESM official present at the scene stated that all fire and rescue units in the capital are currently engaged in firefighting operations. “This is unlike other firefighting efforts; it’s an open area with a large amount of burning wood due to air penetration, along with electrical equipment and several deep-sectioned floors. I cannot say what caused the fire. There’s no news on containment; the fire is spreading intensely, but the teams are working as it has developed in the basement area,” said the ESM official.

According to him, all firefighting units are currently working in areas deemed unbreathable, and there are no explosive materials present. When asked about the burned area, the ESM official could not provide a specific figure: “It’s a huge area; I can’t give numbers at the moment, but each section is only 800 square meters. There are sections that are moving toward effective containment.”

It is worth noting that at 15:47 on August 24, the “911” service received a call reporting a fire at 'Malatia Mall' located on Sebastia Street in Yerevan, with injuries reported. The official website of the ESM announced that at 16:35, the complexity level of the fire was raised to “Level 3.”