Rescuing a Book from the Rubble: Pashinyan's Commentary

Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan shared a photograph from the devastating earthquake of December 7, 1988, on his Facebook page, noting: “December 7, 1988, the disaster-stricken Gyumri: A book is being rescued from the rubble. A scene so characteristic of the Armenian people.”

It is worth remembering that on this day in 1988, a catastrophic earthquake struck the northern regions of the Republic of Armenia, with its epicenter located in the city of Spitak. The earthquake resulted in massive damage and destruction to thousands of buildings, leading to the loss of tens of thousands of lives. The Spitak earthquake occurred on December 7 at 11:41:22 AM, with an intensity of 10 on the epicenter scale. This earthquake is classified as a complete cycle seismic event, including foreshocks, the main shock, and aftershocks. The earthquake affected about 40% of the territory of Armenia, where approximately 1 million people lived.

The devastated area, where the earthquake's intensity reached 8 or more on the Richter scale, spanned an area of 3,000 square kilometers. The catastrophic earthquake impacted 21 cities and regions, and 342 villages, leaving 514,000 people homeless. Approximately 20,000 individuals suffered varying degrees of injury, with 12,500 needing hospitalization, and the death toll reached 25,000 people. Most of the casualties were particularly in Gyumri (about 15-17 thousand) and Spitak (4 thousand). The disaster destroyed 17% of the country’s entire housing stock, caused 170 industrial enterprises to cease operations, and inflicted significant damage on rural areas and the agro-industrial complex. There was also extensive damage to architectural, historical, and artistic monuments, affecting 917 cultural heritage sites. Thanks to the efforts of the population and rescuers, more than 45,000 people were rescued from the rubble, with 12,500 individuals hospitalized.