Extraordinary Incident in Yerevan: Car Knocks Down Huge Gas Pipeline, Damaging Vehicles and Causing Injuries

Today, on July 8, an extraordinary incident occurred in Yerevan. At around 12:30 PM, the emergency services received a report that a vehicle had struck a gas pipeline on Babajanyan Street in the B4 district of the Malatia-Sebastia administrative area, breaking it and fleeing the scene.

According to shamshyan.com, the breakage of the gas pipeline led to a strong gas leak, damaging four support pillars installed under approximately 300 meters of the pipeline, with part of the gas pipeline also being broken. Emergency responders from the "Gazprom Armenia" company arrived promptly, led by General Director Garnik Movsisyan. Additionally, four teams from the Yerevan Fire and Rescue Service also arrived on site.

A "BIS-1" alert was declared at the scene. Police from the patrol service in Yerevan also arrived, cordoning off the area and conducting intensified services to allow rescuers and Gazprom employees to carry out emergency recovery operations.

Residents living near the incident site expressed their frustrations, stating, "This issue has persisted for three years; we are inhaling dust and dirt. The sewage has become a real scourge, and there is no mention of the terrible smell. Three years ago, when construction began, we protested, and Mayor Hayk Marutyan came with his entourage, promising that construction work in this area would conclude within a year. However, the only solution we see is to close the road."

Police negotiator Andranik Meloyan from the Malatia division engaged with the residents. Ultimately, the division chief managed to convince them not to resort to extreme measures, and a few residents agreed to discuss the issue at the Yerevan municipality.

A photojournalist reported that two vehicles were also damaged due to the collapse of the gas pipeline: one was a BMW, and its passenger was hospitalized, with only a miracle saving the driver and the other driver of a Mazda.

Currently, authorities are awaiting the arrival of the traffic police investigative department. Documents are being prepared regarding the damage to the vehicles, while the Malatia police are taking necessary measures to locate the car that caused the pipeline damage and its driver.

Following the directives of G. Movsisyan, employees from Gazprom Armenia's Malatia division promptly arrived and began emergency recovery operations to restore gas supply for residents as soon as possible.

The police are also identifying the drivers of the damaged vehicles and the hospitalized individual. The BMW driver stated in an interview with a photojournalist, "We escaped by a miracle. We were on our way to a wedding with my brother; I was the godfather. I only remember landing in a cloud of dust and promptly maneuvering the car away. Residents nearby assisted us and took us to the hospital."