Chip Laitinen, Charge d'affaires of the US Embassy in Armenia, has expressed his condolences over Sunday’s powerful explosion at the Surmalu shopping center in Yerevan.

“On behalf of the U.S. Embassy in Yerevan, I wish to express our deepest condolences for the tragic loss of those who died as a result of the Surmalu market blast on August 14, wish swift recovery to the injured, and commend the ongoing efforts of the Ministry of Emergency Services and others who responded to the blast. We hold in our thought those who perished, as well as those who mourn their loss during this difficult time,” Laitinen said in a statement.