The Devastating Earthquake That Claimed 25,000 Lives Strikes Armenia on December 7, 1988

On December 7, 1988, at 11:41 a.m. local time, Armenia was jolted by the catastrophic earthquake in Spitak. In a matter of seconds, the cities of Spitak, Gyumri, Vanadzor, and Stepanavan, as well as over a hundred villages and towns in the Spitak, Akhuryan, Gugark, Aragats, Kalingino, and Stepanavan regions were either completely or partially destroyed.

According to official reports, more than 25,000 people lost their lives due to the Spitak earthquake, 19,000 were disabled, and approximately 530,000 residents became homeless. The loss of life was particularly significant in Gyumri, with around 15,000 to 17,000 fatalities, and in Spitak, with about 4,000 deaths.

The earthquake completely devastated the city of Spitak. Along with Spitak and the surrounding villages, the natural disaster obliterated 21 towns and neighborhoods, and destroyed 80 percent of the residential, social, and industrial infrastructure of Armenia’s second-largest city, Leninakan (now Gyumri).

Even today, Armenia continues to grapple with the aftermath of the devastating earthquake. Every year on this day, millions of Armenians in the country and the diaspora pay their respects to the victims of the Spitak earthquake.

Since 2019, December 7 is officially commemorated in Armenia as the Day of Remembrance for the Victims of the Earthquake and Disaster Resilience.