Significant Time Required for Rail Reconstruction, Various Sections of 27 km Damaged, Says Sanosyan

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan expressed condolences to the families of the victims of the floods that occurred on May 23 in the Lori and Tavush regions during the beginning of today's Government session. Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures Gnel Sanosyan then presented the situation, stating: "The Debed River, which was the most water-rich and caused the greatest damage, reached a water level of 50 cubic meters at that time, and today it is 102, meaning there was more than six times the water; currently, it has decreased by 2 meters, which has led to this disastrous situation in dozens of settlements."

According to him, the rescue service has mobilized about 456 rescuers who have evacuated 443 individuals. "Currently, only the community of Sanahin Station remains on the other bank of the river, where we have 141 individuals, but we are delivering everything to them with rescue ropes," he said.

Sanosyan mentioned that as a result of this disaster, there have been 4 casualties. "We have significant infrastructure damage, with approximately 2 kilometers of rail sections affected, primarily from the Ayrum Station to the Sanahin Station, with various segments of the 27 km stretch damaged. In addition to this 2 km stretch, many pillars and substations have also been damaged, which means that not only the railway line but also other adjacent infrastructures have been impacted, and it will take considerable time to reconstruct the railway. In the Akhtala community, we currently have a water issue; we are transporting water there with water trucks," he added.