YEREVAN. – The Investigative Committee of Armenia has launched a criminal case on Saturday morning’s tragic road accident in the Lori Province, and which claimed the lives of seven youth.

An investigation is underway, and investigative and judicial actions are taken to find out the cause of the accident.  

As reported earlier, the Rescue Service of Armenia received information on Saturday at 12:39am. Accordingly, a vehicle was on fire on the Tashir-Stepanavan motorway in the Lori Province. Two fire and rescue squads were dispatched to the scene.

It was found out that the automobile had gone off road at the aforesaid motorway for yet unknown reasons, hit the rocks, and burst into flames.

Seven youth had died as a result of this road accident. Five of them were from Tashir town in the Lori Province. They are: Vanik Mardoyan, 21; Karen Khachatryan, 22; Gevorg Poghosyan, 24; Vahag Albertyan, 24; and Arman Tonoyan, 22. Gaspar Ghukeyan, 22, on the other hand, lived in Metsavan village of the Lori Province while Artur Balyan, 22, was from capital city Yerevan.

The fire was put out at 1:33am.

Another fire and rescue squad was dispatched to the scene.

The vehicle—with five victims still inside—was taken to the area of Stepanavan city medical center to disassemble it and remove the corpses. The fire and rescue workers disassembled the automobile at 9:06am, brought the dead bodies out, and transferred them to the morgue staff.