A Giant Oak Tree Falls on a Tractor in Ararat Province, One Injured

Today, on March 25th, an extraordinary incident occurred in Ararat province. Around 16:30, in the 56th km section of the Yerevan-Meghri highway, within the administrative territory of Surenavan village, a giant oak tree broke off from its roots and fell onto a tractor driven by 50-year-old Kamo Ghazaryan, a resident of Surenavan, which was towing two trailers.

According to Shamshyan.com, as a result of the tree falling, the tractor driver was diagnosed with "chest fracture, polytrauma" and was transferred to the "Ararat" medical center. Villagers were the first to provide assistance and transported the injured to the hospital; however, on the way, the medical team from Ararat hospital arrived and took the victim from the citizens' vehicle to the hospital, where he received first aid and was then transferred to one of the hospitals in Yerevan.

The website also reports that the tree fell on the tractor when it had moved about 125 meters from the point of the fall, and the tractor driver was unable to exit the vehicle on his own, needing assistance from the villagers.

Residents of Surenavan who gathered at the scene commented that there are several centuries-old trees in the area, and if the responsible authorities do not take action and remove these rotten trees, there is a possibility that a similar incident could occur again, potentially with tragic consequences. "At least after this incident, the Ministry of Environment and the Ararat Regional Administration should allow people to remove these rotten trees. If we decide to remove them for safety reasons, we’ll be labeled as traitors of the nation, and several articles of the criminal code will be applied against us, while they tell us to go eat ‘baland’," one villager lamented.