22:00, 4 May 2012

144 people suffered from explosion in Yerevan

The explosion occurred on May 4 in Republic Square during a pre-election rally-concert of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia. The number of victims was 144, said the spokesman of the Armenia's Ministry for Emergencies (MfE).

The rally-concert was attended by over 15,000 people. During the event, the gas-filled balloons in the hands of hundreds of teenagers blew up, resulting in a lot of burns in the surrounding people. They were brought by ambulances to hospitals of Yerevan.

The Burn Centre accepted 30 patients; Medical Centre "Armenia" – 20; Clinical Hospital No. 1 – 9; Medical Centre "Muratsan" – 5; Hospital "Nairi" – 20; and Hospital "Geratsi" – 20. Two more children were taken to Hospital "Astvatsatsin."

As of 9:30 p.m., as reported by the "News Armenia", there were no casualties of the explosion in the centre of Yerevan.

The health condition of the patients is satisfactory; and the hospitals are supplied with everything necessary, said Arutyun Kushkyan, Public Health Minister. According to his story, part of the hospitalized patients suffered from panic, the "Armtoday" reports.