Armenia’s capital Yerevan hit by deadly explosion

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Mayor’s office says an unknown number of people were trapped under rubble after an explosion hit the market in Yerevan.

At least one person has been killed and an unknown number of people are feared trapped in rubble after a strong explosion ripped through a retail market in Armenia’s capital Yerevan, according to officials.

Rescue workers were working to pull people out of the rubble, Levon Sardaryan, a spokesman for the Yerevan mayor, told The Associated Press news agency.

The Ministry of Emergency Situations said there were 10 fire engines on the spot, and 10 more were on their way to the Surmalu market, located about 2km (1.2 miles) south of the city’s centre.

Photos and videos posted on social media showed a thick column of black smoke over the market as successive explosions could be heard.

The blast, the cause of which was not immediately known, set off a large fire in an area where fireworks were stored, the mayor’s spokesman said.

The emergency ministry said at least 20 people were injured in the blast.