Rescue Teams Resume Operations at Partially Collapsed Building on Raini Street

On August 27, at 08:00, two firefighting teams from the Emergency Situations Ministry's Rescue Service in Yerevan, along with a rescue team from the special operations center of the Rescue Forces Department, resumed operations at the site of a partially collapsed multi-story residential building located at 1 Raini Street.

On August 26, at 07:18, the Crisis Management National Center received a call reporting an explosion due to a gas leak at number 3 Raini Street, which resulted in the partial collapse of the building. Five firefighting units, one aerial ladder truck, two rescue and canine teams from the special operations center, and emergency and medical response groups were dispatched to the scene. Additionally, the on-duty psychologist from the Psychological Support Division was present.

The explosion occurred in a four-story panel residential building at number 1 Raini Street, causing partial collapse in the five-entryway area, affecting 12 apartments. Rescuers utilized specialized technical equipment to evacuate 19 residents from the collapsed sections and nearby apartments. The canine team conducted search and rescue operations.

As a result of the search and rescue efforts, two injured individuals were pulled from the rubble around 08:20 and were hospitalized at the “Heratsi” clinical complex. Svetlana S. (born 1949) was assessed by doctors as being in moderate condition, while Edgar M. (born 1979) was deemed in critical condition. At approximately 13:01, after around five hours of continuous search and rescue operations, the rescuers were able to retrieve the body of Arthur Gh. (born 1962) from the debris.

The operation involved the use of engineering equipment, including a crane, a dump truck, and an elevating platform, as well as the police special rescue service vehicle. The Seismic Protection Territorial Service conducted a preliminary assessment of all entrances and apartments of the building.

Additionally, aerial reconnaissance and continuous monitoring were conducted using drones to study the collapsed section of the residential building. It was determined that windows of the neighboring buildings at numbers 20 and 22 on Raini Street, as well as those of adjacent apartments, sustained damage.

Three ambulances were on standby at the scene to provide necessary assistance to residents if required. A total of 72 rescuers, 10 staff from the Russian-Armenian humanitarian response center of the Emergency Situations Ministry, and representatives from police, ambulance, and other services were involved in the operations. Rescuers dismantled weakened and hanging structural elements of the building and worked on the demolition of debris and its removal from the site using trucks.

Operations were suspended at 22:50. One firefighting unit from the Yerevan Rescue Service remained on site along with 10 police officers. The Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, and the Minister of Emergency Situations, Felix Tsolakyan, were present at the scene.