Video: Fire Spreads at Malatia Mall; Employees Trapped

The fire that broke out at Malatia Mall in Yerevan continues to spread. Due to the poor topography, not all fire engines are able to approach the building.

Downstairs, employees of Malatia Mall are continuing to remove merchandise that is still undamaged, specifically transporting the raw materials for soft furniture from the warehouse. Samvel Aleksanyan is giving instructions to his staff, telling them to extinguish the flames; however, they report they have no water. Employees noted that the fire could reach the laminate storage areas.

Later, the fire spread further, trapping those on the upper floor, who were unable to descend. Firefighters brought a long ladder that descended through the black smoke from the upper floor. An ambulance is also on-site.

It is worth mentioning that on August 24th at 15:47, the 911 service received a report of a fire at Malatia Mall located on Sebastia Street in Yerevan, with three individuals injured. The owner of Malatia Mall, well-known businessman Samvel Aleksanyan, is also present at the scene. Citizens, likely employees of Malatia Mall, are risking their safety to bring out saleable goods from inside, including furniture, household appliances, bicycles, raw materials for furniture, and more.

Responding to the fire’s complexity level, 10 fire-fighting units, two aerial ladders, and specialized rescue teams from the Ministry of Emergency Situations, along with the emergency response teams from the National Center for Crisis Management, and a psychological consultant from the psychological support division, have been dispatched to the scene. At 16:35, the fire's complexity level was raised to 3.