What Was the Cause of the Explosion: Yerevan State University Spokesperson Denies Chemical Substance Theory

It is incorrect to circulate the theory that chemical substances were the cause of the explosion. The part of Yerevan State University (YSU) where the explosion occurred houses several faculties, including the Faculty of Chemistry, but the room in question is not associated with any chemical materials, said YSU spokesperson Knar Misakyan in a conversation with journalists.

“Currently, appropriate actions are being undertaken, the area is under investigation, and no chemical materials have been burned. Preliminary information indicates that there was a problem with the electricity,” the spokesperson stated.

According to her report, students and staff have been evacuated from the building, and classes are continuing in the other parts of the campus.

In discussions with reporters, Tariel Ghocikyan, the dean of the Faculty of Chemistry, mentioned that the explosion occurred in an area unrelated to chemical substances—in the basement, where nothing is stored. “It was a locker room for landscaping service employees to store their tools and change clothes; there was no chemical storage,” the dean noted.

According to him, if chemical substances had exploded, nobody would have survived; in this case, those injured have burn injuries and smoke poisoning, but there is no poisoning from chemical substances.

It should be recalled that earlier reports indicated that a fire broke out in one of the basement rooms of YSU's main building, followed by an explosion. The Ministry of Health has reported that there is one deceased and several injured as a result of the explosion.