Several senior officers sacked after deadly fire in Armenian military barracks
Several high-ranking officers were dismissed after the deadly overnight fire in the barracks of an Armenian military unit which killed 15 servicemen and wounded seven others.
The fire broke out in the barracks of an engineer and sapper company in a military unit in Azat, a village in Armenia's eastern Gegharkunik Province, early on Thursday. Three of the wounded soldiers are in serious condition.
At a cabinet meeting on Thursday, Armenian Defense Minister Suren Papikyan announced the dismissal of the leadership of the 2nd Army Corps that includes the unit where the fire occurred.
“The chief of the 2nd Army Corps staff, chief of logistics, deputy corps commander for active duty service, chief of the military unit staff, deputy commander for logistics and head of engineering service, commander of the engineering and sapper company of the military unit and chief of the military’s fire safety service have been dismissed,” Papikyan said.
The minister said that the fire erupted because soldiers used gasoline to fuel a stove.
Earlier, Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan signed a decree to dismiss 2nd Army Corps commander Vahram Grigoryan.