by ARMENPRESS
2nd Army Corps Commander Major-General Vahram Grigoryan fired
Commander of the 2nd Army Corps Major-General Vahram Grigoryan was relieved of duties.
President Vahagn Khachaturyan signed the decree on dismissing the major-general, Khachatryan’s office said. The motion to sack Major-General Grigoryan was submitted by Prime Minister Pashinyan.
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Major-General Grigoryan was commanding the 2nd Army Coprs since 2021.
Cabinet members hold moment of silence in honor of 15 troops killed in “horrendous” barracks fire
Cabinet members held a moment of silence in honor of the memory of the 15 troops who died in a barracks fire on January 19.
“A horrendous incident took place this night,” Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at the Cabinet meeting. “15 servicemen died in a fire at a barracks of a military base deployed in the village of Azat in Gegharkunik province,” Pashinyan said. The Cabinet members then held a moment of silence.
Negligent use of gasoline suspected in deadly barracks fire
Authorities say the fire which killed 15 troops at a barracks was caused by negligent use of gasoline to start a heating fireplace.
The prosecution said that at 05:15, January 19, the military base contacted the Military Police Department of Vardenis and said that a fire broke out during the lighting of a heater with gasoline inside the building of the military base in Azat village around 01:30.
15 conscripts died in the fire. Another 6 conscripts and 1 officer are hospitalized with burns.
A criminal case has been initiated on aggravated violation of safety rules with hazardous materials which negligently caused multiple deaths.
The Military Prosecutor of Armenia Grigor Elizbaryan is at the scene.
Investigators are working to determine the circumstances of the incident.
Gasoline is considered banned substance in barracks – defense minister
According to preliminary information the fire which killed 15 troops in a barracks was caused as a result of violation of fire safety rules, Minister of Defense Suren Papikyan said at the Cabinet meeting.
“According to preliminary information provided by military police, the fire broke out as a result of violation of fire safety rules, and banned substance was used. I am talking about gasoline, and it was impossible to extinguish it after it broke out,” he said.
Earlier the prosecution also said that the fire which killed 15 troops at a barracks was caused by negligent use of gasoline to start the fireplace.
The prosecution said that at 05:15, January 19, the military base contacted the Military Police Department of Vardenis and said that a fire broke out during the lighting of a fireplace with gasoline inside the building of the military base in Azat village around 01:30.
15 conscripts died in the fire. Another 6 conscripts and 1 officer are hospitalized with burns.
A criminal case has been initiated on aggravated violation of safety rules with hazardous materials which negligently caused multiple deaths.
No foul play indicated, authorities suspect negligence in barracks fire
A criminal investigation is underway into the deadly barracks fire, the Chairman of the Investigative Committee Argishti Kyaramyan said at the Cabinet meeting.
He said the criminal case is instituted on suspected aggravated violation of safety rules with hazardous materials which negligently caused multiple deaths. “Detectives are at the scene, they’ve been working all night. Experts have been involved and we have a preliminary version that the fire could’ve broken out as a result of violating safety rules in heating. This is preliminary version, which has been substantiated as of this moment,” Kyaramyan said.
Authorities suspect that gasoline was used to start the heating fireplace at the barracks, which caused the fire.
Officer attempted to start heater with 5-liter gasoline canister – PM reveals preliminary version of barracks fire
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan revealed details from the investigation into the fire which killed 15 troops in a barracks.
Speaking at the Cabinet meeting, PM Pashinyan said that the use of gasoline – which is the suspected cause of the fire – is banned under the fire safety rules in military bases. The safety rules were signed by the Chief of the General Staff on December 21, 2022.
Clause 7 of the instructions bans the use of gasoline and other flammable substances for the use of heaters, and stipulates their storage separately from other substances, the PM said. “This is an order issued by a high-ranking military official, and the simple adherence of this order would’ve allowed avoiding this incident,” the PM said.
Military bases are equipped with special heater starters in order not to have the need of additional measures, the PM said.
PM Pashinyan said preliminary investigation information indicates that an attempt was made to start the heater at the barracks using gasoline.
“According to preliminary information, an attempt was made to pour gasoline from a 5-liter canister into the heater [fireplace]. Naturally, when there was an open fire, not only the fireplace caught fire but also the gasoline, the fire engulfed the officer who was trying to start the heater, and the officer instinctively threw the canister in the direction of the barracks,” Pashinyan said.
The PM expressed hope that the General Prosecution and the Investigative Committee will reveal all circumstances of the fatal incident.
Several high-ranking military officials sacked after deadly barracks fire
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said he requested President Vahagn Khachaturyan to dismiss the Commander of the 2nd Army Corps over the fire which killed 15 troops in a barracks.
“There will be no compromise, there will be concrete accountability when service and discipline aren’t properly conducted even visually. I’ve decided and submitted a motion on dismissing the commander of the 2nd Army Corps, the President has already signed the decree. I have instructed the Minister of Defense that very concrete individual consequences must take place over this incident,” Pashinyan said.
In turn, Minister of Defense Suren Papikyan said that numerous military officials have been relieved of duties.
“The Chief of Staff of the 2nd Army Corps, Chief of Logistics, Deputy Corps Commander for Active Duty Service, Chief of Staff of the military base, deputy commander for logistics and head of engineering service, the commander of the engineering-sapper company of the military base and the military’s chief of logistics and fire safety service have been relieved of duties,” Papikyan said.
“A criminal-legal assessment must be given later, thus their tenure is not appropriate,” he added.
Barracks fire: Two injured soldiers in intensive care
The three survivors of the barracks fire are hospitalized at the National Burns Center, Minister of Healthcare Anahit Avanesyan said. She said two of the troops are on life support in intensive care. The other injured soldier sustained milder injuries and is treated at the general department.
15 troops died in the fire.
