Base Fire Kills 15 Soldiers

The Armenian Ministry of Defense has confirmed the deaths of 15 soldiers after a fire broke out on a base in eastern Armenia, reports the Massis Post (Pasadena, Calif.).

On Thursday, soldiers with an engineering sapper company in the border village of Azat in Gegharkunik province violated safety protocols and used gasoline to fuel a stove, officials said.

Three troops remain in critical condition after the fire.

A dozen officers and the unit’s commander were subsequently fired as a result of the incident.