Explosion in Ararat Province: 1 Dead, 1 Injured

Today, on February 16, a tragic incident occurred in Ararat Province. Around 12:30 PM, the Masis Police Department and the Ministry of Emergency Situations’ 911 operational management center received reports of an explosion in one of the homes in the village of Hovtashat, with possible casualties.

According to photojournalist Gagik Shamshyan, the Masis Fire and Rescue Unit, with two firefighting teams, quickly arrived at the site. Police discovered the body of 49-year-old Vahe Vardanyan in the workshop located in the yard of the second house on Teryan Street in the mentioned village. Meanwhile, a local resident, 60-year-old Norik Esayan, received first aid on-site from Masis doctors and was subsequently transported to the Masis Medical Center with various degrees of injuries.

At this moment, an investigation is underway at the scene by a team from the Ararat Regional Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of Armenia, led by the head of the regional investigative department, Ambak Grigoryan, the head of the Masis investigative division, Samvel Andreasyan, and particularly important cases’ senior investigator, Narek Badalyan. Preliminary materials are being prepared by N. Badalyan regarding the incident. According to initial information, the explosion occurred due to an oxygen cylinder.