Explosion at Surmalu Shopping Center Occurred in Warehouse Without Fireworks Storage Permit, Aravot Reports

On August 14, the explosion at the Surmalu shopping center reportedly occurred in the warehouse of a fireworks importer that did not possess a storage permit from the regulatory body, according to credible information obtained during the preliminary investigation. This is reported by Aravot.am.

According to sources from the publication, this was not the main warehouse of the fireworks importers. "They had another warehouse, not located in the Surmalu area, where they stored 12 tons of fireworks after import. The Surmalu warehouse (from which the explosion originated) was their subsidiary warehouse, where they kept a certain quantity and conducted sales. Can you imagine if the main warehouse had exploded? They should have informed the regulatory body, stating that they brought in this amount of fireworks and asked for a check to confirm if the storage conditions were adequate for issuing a permit. Such actions were not taken. Moreover, there is a specified duration for storing fireworks in a warehouse, which is three years for a specific quantity. Significant information has been gathered during the investigation, both through recordings and specific evidence, regarding how the explosion occurred, although there is no expert conclusion yet. It was also mentioned that those fireworks should have been placed in appropriate metal storage, which should have a thickness of 3mm. The case materials indicate that no proper storage was maintained," noted the source.