Yerevan/Mediamax/. A group of three international experts arrived in Armenia to assess the situation related to chemical hazards at Nairit Plant in Yerevan, where a fire occurred on August 28.

UN Resident Coordinator/UNDP Resident Representative in Armenia Bradley Busetto received the expert group yesterday.

The experts arrived in Armenia by the request of Armenian Ministry of Emergency Situations. Their visit is facilitated by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA).

The experts arrived in Armenia on September 10 and met with Emergency Situations Minister Davit Tonoyan and Nairit Plant management. They also visited the factory site to assess the affected storages and understand how chemicals remaining on the grounds of the plant are managed.

The expert team discussed the mission objectives and plan of action with the UN Resident Coordinator, and shared their impressions of the situation on the ground.

Over the next two weeks the mission will assess the risk associated with hazardous chemical substances in Nairit Plant and will develop recommendations for the Government of Armenia on prevention and mitigation measures.

It’s worth mentioning that the Ministry of Emergency Situations managed to localize the fire rapidly, but it took time before it was fully extinguished. The air monitoring service of the Ministry carried out regular air contamination monitoring, reporting that the air contamination level didn’t exceed hazardous limits.