‘The soldiers who went for water probably went calmly, came back, while the others burned’: relative

Six soldiers who survived the fire have provided different accounts. One of them, Levon, I asked in the hospital how it happened, replied: 'I entered at the moment when a 5-liter canister was lying on the ground and gasoline was spilling out.' This was noted today, February 20, during a protest outside the Ministry of Defense's building by the uncle of one of the soldiers who died in the January 19 fire at the military barracks in the village of Azat.

‘If gasoline is spilling, the fire will reach the canister and explode, what are you saying? I asked him what he did, and he said: ‘I took off my jacket and started to put out the fire.’ He said he called for the others, but they did not respond. He mentioned that the fire reached the door where the soldiers had been sleeping. I asked him why he didn’t open the door, and he replied, 'I thought if I opened it, the fire would enter.' One soldier said the door was closed, and he escaped through the window, while another soldier claimed it was open and he left through the door. We tried; it was impossible to get out of that platform. How is it possible to get out of there without getting burned?' he added.

‘Levon recounts seeing the captain running out in flames, and he said: 'I entered to help, I saw gasoline spilling out.' I asked him why he didn’t help the soldiers, and he said, 'the door was on fire, I couldn’t get back in.' He himself did not reach the bedroom. I asked, 'But what about those two who went for water, what were they doing?' He replied: 'I was burning, I fell into the snow, and I saw they were carrying water in buckets, coming and going. They probably went calmly, came back, while the others burned. Those two didn’t participate in anything,' he stated.

Earlier, it was reported that on January 19, around 1:30 a.m., a fire broke out at the barracks of the 2nd Army Corps in the village of Azat, Gegharkunik Province, resulting in the deaths of 15 conscript soldiers while 7 soldiers were transferred to the Vardenis hospital, four of whom were discharged after receiving treatment, while three others were transferred to Yerevan with severe injuries to the National Burn Center.

Immediately after the incident, the commander of the 2nd Army Corps and seven other high-ranking military officials were dismissed. Hours after the incident, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan presented the official version during a government meeting, stating that a soldier had poured gasoline on a stove, and when the fire caught him, he threw the 5-liter canister towards the barracks in a 'self-defense instinct,' which caused the fire.

Later, the platoon commander told reporters that there was no gasoline in the barracks, essentially refuting the Prime Minister's claim. The military prosecutor also announced that it was still unclear whether it was gasoline or diesel fuel.

It should be noted that a criminal case has been initiated concerning the incident under Article 532, Part 4 of the RA Criminal Code (violation of regulations regarding the handling of weapons, ammunition, military equipment, or other military property, as well as materials, substances, or objects posing a greater danger to the environment, resulting in the death of two or more persons through negligence).