Prime Minister of Armenia pays tribute to 1988 earthquake victims

ArmInfo. On the 32nd anniversary of the earthquake of December 7, 1988, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan visited Gyumri, Shirakamut, Spitak and Vanadzor,  settlements affected by the disaster.

As the press service of the RA PM reports, at 11:41 local time, Nikol  Pashinyan attended a holy liturgy and paid tribute to the victims of  the earthquake in Gyumri. The Premier next visited the village of  Shirakamout (Nalband) in Lori marz, the epicenter of the devastating  earthquake of 1988. Nikol Pashinyan paid tribute to the memory of the  innocent victims of the earthquake and laid a wreath at the  khachkar-monument located near the village hall of Shirakamout.

The Head of Government also laid wreaths at the monuments  commemorating the victims of the earthquake and lit candles in Spitak  and Vanadzor.  

To note, December 7 has been declared a Day of Remembrance for the  victims of the Spitak earthquake in Armenia. On this day in 1988, a  devastating earthquake struck Armenia, almost completely destroying  two cities in northern Armenia, Spitak-Leninakan (now Gyumri), and  more than a hundred villages. Several other cities were partially  destroyed. At the epicenter of the earthquake, the city of Spitak  (northern Armenia), the magnitude of the earthquake on a 12-magnitude  scale reached 10 points. On this day, according to official data, 25  thousand people died, 140 thousand became disabled, and half a  million people lost their homes