VANADZOR. – Total of 498 accidents were registered in Armenia's Lori region by the Ministry of Emergency Situations local department in the first term of this year, as compared to 213 cases of the same period last year, head of the Lori department Hrach Antonyan said on Tuesday. As a result of these accidents, 17 people died, while 155 were injured.

The number of the accidents was increased by 285, death cases were decreased by 17, while injuries increased by 64 at the first term of this year as compared to the same period of last year.

According to Antonyan, 343 cases were man-made, making 68.9 percent of all cases. Due to man-made accidents, 7 people died, 24 were injured. Man-made accidents increased by 263, out of which 315 were fires. The region also registered 24 cases of nature disasters during the accounted period.

Photo by Edward Arzumanyan