YEREVAN. – The National Assembly of Armenia on Wednesday paid tribute to victims of the 1988 earthquake, with a minute of silence.
To note, the government pledges to completely solve the earthquake survivors’ housing problem by the year 2017; that is, 29 years after the tragedy.
The devastating earthquake occurred on December 7, 1988, at 11:41am local time. As a result, Spitak town, the epicenter of this natural disaster, was destroyed almost completely. Also, 21 cities and townships plus 324 villages were ruined. Eighty percent of the country’s second largest city, Gyumri—Leninakan at the time, was annihilated. There was great destruction in Armenia’s third largest city, Vanadzor—Kirovakan at the time, as well.
