Officer attempted to start heater with 5-liter gasoline canister – PM reveals preliminary version of barracks fire

YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. 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.