Delivery time2023-09-30 05:15
170 people killed in gas station explosion… Armenia files lawsuit demanding withdrawal of Azeri troops from civilian facilities
Evacuee vehicle procession of Armenian residents
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(Geneva = Yonhap News) Correspondent Ahn Hee = More than 80% of the Armenian population, who had been advocating independence and forming an autonomous force in Azerbaijan for over 30 years, abandoned their homes and quickly fled to Armenia after experiencing an armed conflict with Azerbaijan recently.
According to the RIA Novosti news agency, the Armenian government announced that as of the afternoon of the 29th (local time), 97,735 Armenian residents from Nagorno-Karabakh, a disputed area in Azerbaijan, entered the country. This corresponds to 81.4% of the total 120,000 residents.
Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally an Azerbaijani territory, but the majority of its residents are ethnic Armenians. Armenian residents established a self-proclaimed republic in 1991, operated an army, and engaged in several armed conflicts with Azerbaijan.
When Azerbaijan launched an airstrike on the Nagorno-Karabakh area on the 19th, the autonomous forces that had defended the region by force for over 30 years virtually lost control to Azerbaijan.
After agreeing to a ceasefire, the autonomous forces are negotiating with the Azerbaijani government, which promises to guarantee the safety of residents in exchange for disarmament.
However, the mass exodus of Armenian residents who feel their personal safety is threatened continues. By this afternoon, the 10th day after the armed conflict and ceasefire agreement, more than 80% of the 120,000 Armenian residents had left Nagorno-Karabakh.
The number of casualties in the gas station fuel tank explosion, which was a disaster that occurred during the evacuation of Armenian residents, increased further.
On the 26th, a fuel tank exploded at a gas station on the outskirts of Stepanakert, the central city of Nagorno-Karabakh, causing significant damage to cars carrying refugees trying to refuel.
Immediately after the accident, the scale of damage, which was known as ‘dozens of people injured,’ grew rapidly, and deaths continued to appear among the seriously injured. An official from the Armenian autonomous force announced through a social networking service that day, “The number of deaths from the explosion increased to 170.”
Armenia filed a lawsuit with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Azerbaijan, demanding the withdrawal of troops from civilian facilities in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Armenia also included in its request an order for the United Nations to access Nagorno-Karabakh and monitor it.
prayerahn@yna.co.kr
Report via KakaoTalk okjebo
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2023/09/30 05:15 Sent
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2023-09-29 20:15:20
