HALO Trust de-miner undergoes lower limb amputation after surviving landmine blast in Artsakh

Aram Mkrtchyan, one of the two HALO Trust de-miners who were wounded in the accidental detonation of an anti-tank landmine in Ghazanchi area of Artsakh, is in a serious but stable condition. The 44 year old survivor of the blast had internal bleeding and sustained a ruptured spleen, which was surgically removed in the Republican Medical Center of Artsakh.

The healthcare ministry of Artsakh told ARMENPRESS that the other survivor, Garik Ghahriyan, 31, is in a critical condition. Doctors were forced to amputate the lower limbs of the de-miner. Additional examinations revealed multiple fractions throughout his body.

The incident happened in the morning of March 29, when the vehicle of HALO Trust exploded on a landmine in Artsakh.

Three HALO Trust staff members were killed in what the organization called an “accidental detonation”. The victims have been identified as Pavel Akopov, Samson Avanessian and Marat Petrossian.

James Cowan, HALO’s CEO said: “Every day around the world, more than 8,000 HALO staff go to work in places where no one else can tread and this tragic incident throws into stark relief the dangers that they face and the importance of our work. Our colleagues were killed while working to make the land safe for the people of Nagorno Karabakh.”