At least two people have been killed and several wounded after a bus exploded in central Yerevan on Monday night, with the Armenian president ordering police to tighten security in response.
Two are confirmed dead according to preliminary reports, while eight are seriously wounded.
The cause of the blast on Halabyan street was not immediately known, but the authorities have not ruled out the possibility that it was caused by a device brought on board by a passenger.
“It is clear that the blast was not caused by explosion of a gas tank or diesel fuel. It was a wave explosion, but it is still too early to make any assertions,” said Armenian police chief Voya Gasparyan, according to news.am.
The blast occurred inside the bus, on or under a second row seat, he said, with police trying to identify the passenger who was sitting there.
Images of the burnt out bus, and pieces of it a long distance away, were shared on social media, as were reports that the police were collecting body parts several hours later.
A criminal case has been opened by the police chief. Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan said the authorities would step up security in response.
SOURCE: commonspace.eu and agencies
