(December 7, 1988) Earthquakes have frequently hit Armenia throughout history. An Armenian man who was found digging with his fingers and hands was told by a doctor that if he continued to dig that way, he risked amputation. Tier 3 restrictions 'worst-case scenario' for town, 'Don't give up, the storm ends': A message of hope. Armradio – Armenian President Armen Sarkissian says we have no right to despair even in these challenging times. Many buildings across the region sustained heavy damage or collapsed. It left more than 25,000 people dead, over 15,000 wounded needing urgent care, and more than half a million homeless. 14:19 Survey: Most Russians are following situation in Nagorno-Karabakh 13:49 2019 Aurora Prize Laureate Mirza Dinnayi arrives in Armenia 13:41 Wreath laid in memory of 1988 earthquake victims on behalf of Armenia 2nd President 13:33 Chinese FM speaks in favor of resuming dialogue with US 12:34 Armenian parliament hearings begin with minute of silence "The Armenian earthquake was the beginning of the collapse of the Soviet Union," said Tatul Sonentz-Papazian, who helped coordinate rescue efforts in 1988 for the Massachusetts-based Armenian Relief Society. These cookies do not store any personal information. He learned of the quake via a telegram from British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher describing the situation, conveying sympathy and offering aid. The second team arrived just as the first team were getting ready to pull out from Spitak and return home. Video, 'Don't give up, the storm ends': A message of hope, Mitch McConnell: Top Trump ally breaks silence to congratulate Biden, LGBT-owned kilt maker denounces kilt-clad Proud Boys, Peter Nygard: Canadian fashion mogul arrested, Lizzo sparks body debate with 10-day smoothie diet, Dresden Green Vault: Fourth suspect arrested over German diamond heist, Japan 'Twitter killer' Takahiro Shiraishi sentenced to death, Coronavirus: France replaces lockdown with evening curfew, Ghislaine Maxwell: Jeffrey Epstein associate seeks $28.5m bail deal, Barbara Kentner: Brayden Bushby found guilty in death of indigenous woman. It may be that this second largest earthquake in Armenia and the quiescence distribution were related to the same underlying tectonic process. Gorbachevcut short his trip to fly back to Moscow. For the fifteen months prior to the earthquake and at times up to hundreds of thousands of protesters, represented by the Karabakh Committee, were demanding both democracy and the unification of Nagorno-Karabakh (administered by Soviet Azerbaijan but disputed autonomous territory with an 80% A… This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. The earthquake was located within the ESE-WNW oriented Pambak-Sevan thrust and fold zone corresponding to the southern front of the Lesser Caucasus. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Prague, 17 March 1998 (RFE/RL) -- Nearly ten years ago, on December 7, 1988, a massive earthquake rocked northwestern Armenia, killing some 50,000 inhabitants. Weeks after the election, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell congratulates the president-elect. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian has addressed a message on the 32nd anniversary of the 1988 earthquake, the Presidential Office told Armenpress. The tremor also caused damage to many surrounding villages. At least 25,000 people killed, 19,000 injured and 500,000 homeless in the Leninakan-Spitak-Kirovakan areas of northern Armenia, then part of the USSR. All principal determinants of structural damage and crush injury converged to magnify the dreadful outcomes of this otherwise modest earthquake, which registered 6.9 on the Richter scale. “Motherland” statue in front of Red Cross Headquarters in Washington, D.C. to commemorate the 1988 Armenia earthquake “The Armenians have not had to face this tragedy alone. 2:19 [Deleted video] ԿԱՅԱՑՈՒՄ by HaykFilms. Huge collection, amazing choice, 100+ million high quality, affordable RF and RM images. The small city of Spitak was destroyed, while the nearby cities of Leninakan (later renamed to Gyumri) and Kirovakan (later renamed to Vanadzor) sustained a lot of damage as well. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. 40 km (25 miles) north of Leninakan, Armenia. 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