Tashir and Surmalu Remain Closed: Details

 51 violations of fire and technical safety regulatory requirements have been identified at the Surmalu shopping center, while 12 violations were found at the Tashir shopping center. This information was provided by Elena Zohrabyan, the spokesperson for the Urban Development, Technical, and Fire Safety Inspection Body, in a conversation with Sputnik Armenia.

 "This year, inspections have been conducted at 30 major shopping centers and several dozen gas stations. Currently, the operations of two facilities, the Surmalu and Tashir shopping centers, have been temporarily suspended, and closure decisions have also been made for approximately 20 gas stations," Zohrabyan stated.

 According to her, the Tashir shopping center had made certain corrections and submitted a request to the inspection body to visit and review the results. However, the inspection revealed that the corrections were partial, and the closure decision remains in effect.

 This morning, the shopping center submitted another request to the inspection body, and at this moment, the facility's specialists are conducting inspections. As for the Surmalu shopping center, according to Zohrabyan, inspection body specialists and police made another visit there yesterday. The booths are closed, but ongoing corrective works are being carried out.

 Zohrabyan added that problematic issues in shopping centers that were closed and have since reopened after inspections have been resolved, with deadlines set for other issues to be addressed in full.

 It should be noted that on March 7, the Urban Development, Technical, and Fire Safety Inspection Body announced that decisions had been made to suspend the operations of Tashir Invest Group LLC, Apsida, and the Yegvard Combined Feed Plant LLC. On March 17, the inspection body reported that the operations of the Yerevan Canned Goods Factory (Surmalu Marketplace) LLC had been completely suspended.

 Reminder: An explosion occurred at the Surmalu shopping center on August 14, 2022, at approximately 13:23. As a result of the explosion, 16 people lost their lives. In the initiated criminal proceedings, there are five defendants, including Irina Madatova, the director of the Yerevan Canned Goods Factory LLC (which operates the Surmalu shopping center), as well as the deputy director and three business operators, whose storage area was where the explosion took place.