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Yerevan Printing House was brought down by an explosion on Thursday  amid a public outrage and mutual accusations of the state bodies.

The initial reports suggested that the permission to blow up the building was granted by Yerevan Mayor’s Office.

“The owner of a building submits a request for demolition, and the Mayor’s Office gives the permission within its authorities,” Artur Gevorgyan, head of the press and information department at Mayor’s Office told Panoroma.am Gevorgyan next clarified that the way of demolition is within the authorities of the Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES).

The Mayor’s Office representative advice to address inquires about the specific way of demolition to the Ministry, since the Mayor’s Office is not authorized to issue such permission. “We are not the body to permit controlled explosions,” Gevorgyan stated.

To note, the owner of the Printing House presented a draft project of constructing a multifunctional building on the place of the collapsed Printing House.

Meanwhile, Nana Gndoyan, representative of the MES press and public relations department argued in an interview with Panoroma.am that MES had no authority in granting decisions regarding the controlled explosion.

“The Ministry of Emergency Situations provides a license to the companies authorizing those specific organizations to realize explosion works in general. The MES does not grant controlled explosions of the buildings for a specific date and place,” Gndoyan said, adding the permission for blowing up the Printing House was not issued by the Ministry.

Gndoyan, however, admitted that the rescue staff of the MES was at the scene during the controlled explosion to take necessary security measures.
Artur Gevorgyan, meanwhile, wondered at the clarification received from the Ministry, arguing he had a conversation with the Ministry representative earlier who had admitted the Ministry was beyond the decision.

He next informed that the building of the Printing House was sold in 2009 when Yerevan was not administratively formed as a community.
“All the information about the building should be obtained from the State Cadaster,” Griogoryan said.

Meanwhile, the Police of Armenia informed Panorama.am they had received no alarm regarding the explosion.

To note, the wall of Abbas Mirza Mosque was demolished through controlled explosion as well back in Soviet times. First the workers demolished the real wall without voicing the works to avoid interethnic resentment. Later the fake wall which was called after Abbas Mirza Mosque was demolished without much consequences.