Armenian authorities on Thursday ruled out terrorism in the massive explosion at the Surmalu shopping center in Yerevan that killed 16 people, based on preliminary investigation results.
“At this moment the criminal investigation doesn’t have any factual information that would indicate terrorism or any other criminal intent,” the director of Armenia’s Investigative Committee Argishti Kyaramyan who said during Thursday’s cabinet meeting that the focus is more on a “negligence-related” crime.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that the surveillance footage from the trade center and other eyewitness accounts suggest that terrorism can be ruled out, but reiterated that a final conclusion shouldn’t be made until the investigation is completed.
Pashinyan also call for regulating the import, manufacture and use of flammable materials in Armenia, saying that the unregulated sale of such materials must be prohibited.
While Armenia was observing a second day of mourning for the victims of the blast, search and rescue operations continued at the Surmalu market, according to Armenia’s minister of emergency situations Armen Pambukhchyan, who told reporters that the efforts were being focused on the presumed epicenter of the explosion.
He added that once the search operations are completed the authorities will determine the ways to tackle the building and its ruins.
“From the very beginning the volunteers from the Armenian Red Cross and representatives of the VOMA organization were working with us, our colleagues from the Russian-Armenian Humanitarian Response Center were also there, our Belgian colleagues who were here also joined us. I’d like to emphasize that we didn’t have the need of any additional manpower or equipment during these days. Our capacities are sufficient,” Pambukhchyan said.