The missing citizen should be search for under the panels of the Surmalu shopping market building. Deputy Minister of Emergency Situations of Armenia, Artyush Grigoryan, told reporters this on Thursday—and with respect to the ongoing search and rescue operations after the deadly explosion at the aforesaid market in Yerevan on August 14.

"We are moving the reinforced concrete panels here because the search work has already been completed here; the presence of a missing citizen is ruled out here.

The citizen we are looking for is either in this building or under the wall of the building. It is not ruled out that he is on the first floor of the building.

The search work goes to the street by clearing like this. Once we find the [missing] citizen, we will declare the search work completed," said Grigoryan.

Sixteen people, including a pregnant woman and a small child, were killed in the powerful explosion at the Surmalu shopping market on August 14. One person is still considered missing In addition, 62 people were administered to hospitals, and four of them continue to receive treatment there.

Criminal proceedings have been launched into the aforesaid explosion—and under the Criminal Code articles on "Violation of fire safety rules or requirements, which has negligently caused the death of a person or other serious consequences," and "Violation of rules or requirements for the storage, accounting, transportation, delivery or use of flammable or combustible materials, which has negligently caused the death of a person or other serious consequences."