Smoke Covers Malatia Mall Area; Masks Distributed as Casualty Count Rises

In Yerevan, smoke has spread so extensively in the area of Malatia Mall following a fire that erupted approximately five hours ago that everyone was compelled to wear masks. The entire surrounding area is engulfed in smoke, exacerbated by the winds that have picked up.

A decision was made to bring masks for everyone present at the fire scene. It is worth noting that the owner of Malatia Mall, businessman Samvel Aleksanyan, is on-site. He is effectively overseeing the firefighting efforts, and under his instructions, an additional water truck arrived to assist the firefighters.

Many individuals have reported deteriorating health due to the smoke, with several being transported to the hospital by ambulance. Earlier, NEWS.am reported that today, August 24, at 15:47, a call was received by the 911 service indicating that a fire had broken out in the building of Malatia Mall on Sebastia Street, with the number of injured reaching seven according to the latest data.

Citizens, who are likely employees of Malatia Mall, are risking their safety by bringing out saleable goods from inside, including furniture, appliances, bicycles, furniture raw materials, and more.

Responding to the fire's complexity rated as “Level 2,” 18 firefighting units, two aerial platforms, a rescue team from the Special Rescue Operations Center of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, emergency response and operational teams from the National Crisis Management Center, as well as an instructor from the Psychological Support Division for psychological counseling have been dispatched to the scene. By 16:35, the complexity level of the fire was increased to “Level 3.”

Information on firefighting efforts is being regularly reported to the Minister of Emergency Situations, who has also visited the scene.