At the moment, the number of casualties as a result of Sunday’s explosion at the Surmalu shopping market in Yerevan is sixteen, fourteen of them have been identified, and eight people are missing. Davit Hambaryan, Deputy Minister of Emergency Situations of Armenia, told reporters about this on Tuesday.

"There is one minor among the casualties. The two missing persons are foreigners. The probability of finding people alive under the rubble is decreasing," he added.

The official said that cooling works are carried out on a regular basis at the site of a Surmalu market building which is still standing, and there is no danger of an explosion.

"Now we are trying to find out, with special visual monitoring equipment, what is inside the building. Heavy equipment does not penetrate where people may be. It now brings out the fragments. It is difficult to say how long the work will last, but it is intensive. The pace is fast," added Hambaryan.