Today it will be decided how many residents of the collapsed building can return to their homes, says Felix Tsolakyan

Right now, the head of the Urban Development Committee, Armen Ghulyan, is in the building, examining other parts of the structure. According to our preliminary data obtained from seismic assessments, the first, second, and third entrances are completely safe. There are doubts regarding the fourth entrance, which needs further inspection. The fifth entrance is the collapsed one. This was stated by the Minister of Emergency Situations, Felix Tsolakyan, during a conversation with journalists today, August 26.

He added that all the residents of the building have been evacuated. “A decision will be made regarding who among them can return, while those who have lost their homes will have their accommodation issues resolved today. No one can remain outside,” he stated.

Regarding the causes of the explosion, the minister mentioned that it may have been due to a gas leak. “We suspect that the explosion occurred in an apartment on the second floor.”

It is worth noting that today, on August 26, at 07:18, the National Crisis Management Center received a notification about an explosion due to a gas leak at 3 Rainis Street in Yerevan, resulting in partial collapse of the building. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Minister Felix Tsolakyan were present at the scene.

Rescuers have pulled three citizens from the rubble, one of whom is deceased. Nineteen citizens have been evacuated. Two injured individuals have been hospitalized at the “Heratsi” Clinical Hospital. One of the injured, Svetlana S. (born 1949), is currently undergoing examination, with doctors assessing her condition as moderate, while the other injured person (a male, about 50 years old) is in extremely critical condition.