A Thick-Barked Sycamore Falls in Yerevan, Damaging Vehicles

Today, February 18, an emergency incident occurred in Yerevan. Around 8:00 PM, due to strong winds, a thick-barked sycamore tree was uprooted and fell to the ground in the yard of one of the high-rise buildings on Atoyann Street.

According to photojournalist Gagik Shamshyan, as a result of the tree falling, a Nissan Teana with license plate 35 DT 214 and a Ford Transit with license plate 34 QC 275 parked in the yard were damaged. In a conversation with the photographer, local residents expressed their concerns, stating, "It took just seconds for the wind to knock down this giant sycamore tree that is 50-60 years old. Fortunately, there were no casualties or injuries, but we don’t know who will lend us a helping hand and support us. Emergency responders from the Ministry of Emergency Situations arrived promptly, but they are not authorized to assist us with compensation. Our hope is with the Yerevan Mayor Haik Marutyan and the head of the Erebuni administrative district Arman Abrahamyan, that they will at least provide some backup. We have contacted our insurers, but they told us there’s nothing they can do. Now, who will compensate us, and where will we get our damages covered? We have no idea. There are several similar trees in this neighborhood, and we have repeatedly asked the responsible authorities to trim them, but they have refused to come and do so. If we attempt to trim those hazardous trees ourselves, the community and the municipal office will come after us with astronomical fines. Thank God that no people were hurt or killed by these fallen trees."

In a conversation with the photojournalist, the head of the Erebuni administrative district, A. Abrahamyan, stated that he is aware of the situation and that service workers from the municipal office have already arrived at the scene at his instruction. He added that in the morning, he will assess the issue and will support the residents within the legal framework. The district leader also mentioned that he will discuss the trimming of the remaining hazardous trees with the responsible officials from the Yerevan municipality's greening department and will propose timely solutions.