Five Armenian residents-victims of balloon blast remain under intensive care

Five persons injured by the explosion of balloons on May 4 are still treated at resuscitation wards of Yerevan hospitals.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the explosion occurred in Republic's Square during a pre-election rally-concert of the Republican Party of Armenia. The total number of victims of the blast was 144, including two children. According to eyewitnesses, the fire broke out above the crowd that had gathered for a concert. Some people were running completely on fire, with their burning hair and clothes.

"At present, the country's hospitals still keep 71 injured patients; however, the number of those under intensive care has dropped from ten to five," said Shushan Unanyan, the press secretary of the Ministry of Public Health of Armenia.

She also flatly denied rumours that one of the victims of the balloon explosion had died and another one got blind, the RIA "Novosti" reports.

According to Ms Unanyan, the victims of the May 4 balloon explosion in Republic Square, who need plastic surgery, will be operated under the state budget funds. She noted that this would be an exception, since usually such surgeries are not paid from budgetary funds, the "Panorama.am" reports.

Let us remind you that that by an order of the Chief of Police of Armenia several operative groups have been set up to investigate different versions of the incident, including a spontaneous combustion, violations of fire safety regulations, improper storage of flammable substances, an intentional or accidental harm to human health and others. At the same time, the Armenia's Ministry for Emergencies (MfE) rules out the version of a terror act.

On May 5, the local law enforcers established the people who inflated and brought the balloons, which had blow up in the Yerevan square.