Video: Preliminary Reports Indicate 1 Fatality. Details on the Debed River Flooding

Multiple reports have been received at the National Crisis Management Center and the Lori Regional Crisis Management Center regarding incidents caused by the flooding of the Debed River since 00:40 on May 26, 2024. As a result of the flooding, the 31st km section of the Vanadzor-Alaverdi road on the M6 has been inundated and approximately 50 meters of the section has collapsed.

In the Ayroum station on Railway Street, several houses have been flooded. In the area from the village of Shnogh to Teghut, an Opel brand vehicle has fallen into the river, with preliminary reports confirming 1 fatality. One truck has been trapped on the Ayroum-Alaverdi highway, completely submerged in water, with 2 individuals trapped inside the cabin. In the city of Alaverdi, there are reports of flooded houses and barns.

According to preliminary information, an elderly citizen has fallen into the river, and search and rescue operations are ongoing. As of 08:00, the bridge over the Debed River on the road to the village of Karkop in Alaverdi has collapsed, and the area is now submerged.

The bridge on the road to the village of Akhtala over the Debed River is also flooded, and parts of it may have collapsed. Sediment deposits and fallen pillars are visible on the railway. The M6 road in Alaverdi, as well as the road leading to the Sanahin neighborhood and the section near the graves on the M6 road, is completely flooded, with significant collapse observed.

The bridge connecting the city of Alaverdi to the Sanahin station has completely collapsed. The road has been entirely washed away in the section from Shnogh to Teghut due to the river’s flooding. Preliminary information indicates that there is a vehicle in the river on the M6-Teghut section with a citizen inside.

In the Pambak community, on the section of the M6 highway from Kobayr to Zoraget, the road has completely collapsed in several places, trapping 3 vehicles in that area. 70 residents of the Zoraget community have been evacuated to safety. The Ministry of Emergency Situations’ rescue units are managing all incidents, with 7 combat teams from the Lori Regional Rescue Department and 2 operational groups, as well as 2 combat teams and 1 operational group from the Tavush Regional Rescue Department involved in the response.