NKR commemorates victims of Spitak earthquake

Today, on the 26^th anniversary of the Spitak earthquake, the capital and regional centres of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) held funeral processions and putting down flowers in memory of the victims of the tragedy.

On December 7, 1988, the devastating earthquake burst out, the epicentre of which was in the village of Nalband that had completely bygone underground. The earthquake affected 40% of the territory of Armenia with about a million residents. According to official figures, the earthquake affected 21 towns and 342 villages; 18% of the housing stock of the country was destroyed. Spitak was destroyed completely, Gyumri, Stepanavan and Vanadzor – partially. The Spitak earthquake claimed about 25,000 lives; and 514,000 people were left homeless.

In the morning, public activists of Stepanakert and the leaders of the NKR headed down the main street of the capital to the Memorial Complex and laid wreaths and flowers at the monument to victims of the earthquake, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

The centre of Berdzor of the Kashatag District also hosted a memorial rally today. "The Spitak earthquake is the greatest tragedy that our people have endured; and the memory of all the victims of this tragedy – over 25,000 casualties – will survive in our hearts," said one of the participants of the rally.

As a result of the earthquake more than half million people were left homeless. The authorities have consistently stated that the problems associated with the restoration of the disaster zone, had been largely solved. However, to this day about a thousand families in the earthquake zone are still living in makeshift dwellings.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.