Armenia explosion: fireworks factory blast kills at least one in Yerevan

Footage from the scene shows a building collapsing as people run to escape the blast

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A fireworks factory has exploded in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, killing at least one person and injuring more than 20, authorities said.

Footage posted on social media shows crowds of people running from a pall of smoke rising over the city's streets, before a huge blast levels a multi-storey building.

Witnesses at the Surmalu market reported hearing two explosions, local media said.

The city mayor’s office said there were an unknown number of people trapped under rubble and that a building that was storing fireworks had caught fire.

The blast and fire at the market sent a cloud of smoke over Yerevan. The market is about two kilometres south of the city’s centre.

Rescue workers were working to pull people out of the rubble, said Levon Sardaryan, a spokesman for Yerevan's mayor.

Huge explosion hits market in Armenia's capital

People help firefighters to deliver water to extinguish flames at Surmalu market about two kilometers (1. 2 miles) south of the center Yerevan, Armenia, Sunday, Aug.  14, 2022.  A strong explosion at a fireworks storage area has ripped through a market in Armenia's capital.  At least one person has been killed and about 20 others have been injured.  The blast on Sunday set off a large fire.  (AP Photo / Daniel Bolshakov)
Updated: August 15, 2022, 5:42 AM