Several Killed, Injured as Strong Explosions Rock Yerevan

Related FileA series of powerful explosions ripped through a retail market in the Armenian capital Yerevan on Sunday, sparking a fire.

The first explosion was followed by successive detonations, with unconfirmed reports suggesting that it could be fireworks exploding at a warehouse, Sputnik reported.

The following video shows people running away in panic from the site of the explosion.

Eyewitnesses said an unknown number of people may have been trapped under the ruble.

Rescue workers were working to pull people out of the rubble, Levon Sardaryan, a spokesman for the Yerevan mayor, told Associated Press.

The emergency situations ministry said there were 10 firefighting trucks on the spot and another 10 were on their way to the Surmalu market, located about two kilometers (over a mile) south of the city’s centre.

The blast, cause of which was not immediately known, set off a large fire in an area where fireworks were stored, the mayor spokesman said.

The Armenian emergency service ministry said at least 20 people were injured in the blast.