Massive blast at service station in Armenia

At least seven people were injured, two seriously, in a blast late Thursday evening at a fuel station outside of Yerevan, the capital of Armenia.

A liquified gas tank exploded just after 11 p.m. in the town of Abovyan along the highway to Lake Sevan, sending clouds of smoke and lighting up the night sky over Yerevan.

Armenia’s Investigative Committee announced Friday it had already opened a criminal investigation into the incident, citing alleged negligence and fire safety violations.

The authorities moved in February to shut down the fuel station, which was operating without a license, the local investigative site Hetq reported. The owner, Rafael Ayvazyan, appealed that decision before filing for bankruptcy, and litigation remains ongoing.

Regional governor Aharon Sahakyan has confirmed that version of the events, saying the station “had legal problems,” but was allowed to continue operating until the court made a decision.

Thursday’s blast was reminiscent of an explosion at a fuel depot in Nagorno-Karabakh last September that left at least 218 people dead.

Original story 7 injured in massive blast at gas station outside Yerevan - CIVILNET