One of the three servicemen who sustained burns as a result of the fire at the accommodation of a platoon of a military unit has been transferred to the military hospital. Karine Babayan, the deputy director on medical affairs of the National Center of Burns and Dermatology of Armenia, told Armenian News-NEWS.am about this.

She noted that this serviceman's health condition was assessed as satisfactory.

Babayan added that the other two soldiers who sustained burns were in moderate condition.

Earlier, Armenian News-NEWS.am reported that at around 1:30am on January 19, a fire broke out in the accommodation of the engineering-sapper platoon of the military unit located in the territory of Azat village of Armenia’s Gegharkunik Province. Fifteen servicemen have died as a result of this fire, and seven others were injured. Four of them were discharged from the Vardenis town hospital after receiving medical treatment, whereas three others with severe burns were transported to National Center of Burns and Dermatology in the capital Yerevan.

Immediately after the incident, the commander of the 2nd Army Corps and seven other high-ranking military personnel were relieved of their positions.

A few hours after the incident, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at the Cabinet meeting of the government that an officer had poured gasoline in the stove of the aforesaid accommodation. After which, when the fire had gotten to him, he had thrown—with a self-protective instinct—the 5-liter can of gasoline in his hand towards the accommodation, and this had caused the fire.

But later, the platoon commander told reporters that there was no gasoline in the accommodation, essentially refuting the PM. The Military Prosecutor also stated that it is not yet clear whether it was gasoline or diesel fuel.

Criminal proceedings have been launched into this incident along the lines of which there are two defendants: the head of the utility operation service of the aforesaid military unit, as well as the head of the rear of the military unit and the latter’s the deputy commander in charge of rear and utility operation service. They are in custody.