There is expert opinion yet in the case of the explosion at the Surmalu shopping market in Yerevan, but people have been charged and arrested already. This was told to Armenian News-NEWS.am by the lawyer of one of those arrested in the respective criminal proceeding.

He added that they are going to file an appeal with the Criminal Court of Appeal of Armenia against the decision of the first instance court.

"There is still no expert opinion that would confirm or deny what actually was the main cause of the explosion. We have a situation where people have been charged and arrested in the case when the main evidence in the case is not yet available, the expert opinion which would answer the question of what was the cause of the explosion," said the lawyer.

A strong explosion took place at the Surmalu shopping market on August 14. As a result, 16 people died and one person is considered missing. The search for this missing person, however, has stopped.

Criminal proceedings have been launched under Armenia’s Criminal Code article on violating the fire safety rules or requirements, which negligently caused the death of a person or other serious consequences, and the article on negligently depriving the lives of two or more persons. 

Those detained along the lines of the aforesaid criminal proceedings were the deputy director of the Yerevan Canning Factory and three persons using the warehouse. Subsequently, the user of the warehouse were arrested, whereas the deputy director of the Yerevan Canning Factory was released.