ArmInfo. Armenian Emergency Situations Minister Feliks Tsolakyan believes that to reduce risks, public transport in Armenia should run on diesel fuel. Tsolakyan expressed this opinion in an interview with journalists on July 8, referring to the tragic accident involving the route Gazelle in the Ararat region of the Republic of Armenia, which killed 6 people.
Thus, answering to the journalists' question what was done in terms of increasing passenger safety after a similar tragic incident occurred in the Shirak region in 2014, Tsolakyan in particular, said: "Conclusions must be made after this accident. I have repeatedly said that passenger vehicles should be equipped with fire extinguishers, although, as I understand it, in this case, the driver of the Gazelle was not to blame. I also think that it is necessary to raise the question of what fuel should be used in public transport. I believe that it would be correct to use not gas or gasoline, but diesel fuel in order to prevent fires of a similar scale. " At the same time, he noted that legislative changes may be proposed and rules will be developed to avoid such tragic incidents.
Tsolakyan also pointed out that many drivers operate vehicles without proper technical inspection and that sanctions are applied to them.
Referring to the overall tragedy that occurred in the Ararat region on July 6, Tsolakyan assured that the Emergencies Ministry arrived at the call on time, there was not a moment of delay, they were at the place 4- 5 minutes after the call, but could not put out the fire that quickly spread . The head of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Armenia also noted that the causes of the tragedy are not yet known. ''Today, one version of the accident - a Toyota brand car collided head-on with a Gazelle, and then another car behind it rammed the Gazelle, as a result of which a gas leak occurred and a fire broke out. The firefighters who arrived in time extinguished the fire from a distance of 5-6 meters, so strong was it already, " Tsolakyan concluded.
It should be noted that an accident involving three cars, including a passenger Gazelle, occurred around 3:00 pm on July 6 at 54 km of the Yerevan-Meghri highway. As a result of an accident, 6 people (1 man and 5 women), including the driver of the Gazelle, were burned alive (the body of one woman has not yet been identified), another 11 people were hospitalized. The doctors estimate the condition of the three passengers of the Gazelle as extremely heavy. A criminal case on the grounds of Part 3 of Article 242 of the RA Criminal Code has been opened. The fact of the tragedy is being investigated.