YEREVAN. – Discussions are currently underway, at area of the landslide which occurred in Armenia’s Tavush Region, the possible alternatives for removing, by way of MOD Air Force, the vehicles that are still under terrain.    

Minister of Emergency Situations Armen Yeritsyan headed to Tavush Region with a MOD helicopter, on Tuesday at approximately 1 p.m., Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES) Rescue Service informed Armenian News-NEWS.am. 

MES experts are inspecting the landslide to assess its condition and ascertain possible developments.

Search & rescue is continuing nonstop, but the rescuers are still working manually because, considering the landslide’s activeness and the weather, use of heavy machinery could be dangerous.   

On October 2, a landslide occurred at Vanadzor-Bagratashen section—nearby Ayrum railway station’s bridge and close to Lchkadzor village—of M6 Interstate Highway. The 130-meter-long and 60-meter-deep terrain covered the road, rendering it completely impassable. Several vehicles have remained under terrain.

Five people are declared missing, they are: Armen Sorsumatyan (Yerevan resident, born in 1973), Mekhak Sorsumatyan (Yerevan resident, born in 1964), Norik Mirzoyan (Lchkadzor village resident, born in 1939), Arthur Hakobyan (Georgian citizen, born in 1992), and Gurgen Hakobyan (Georgian citizen, born in 1949).   

MES Crisis Control Center’s hotline numbers are: 010-52-96-90, 010-36-02-97, 060 44 02 38.