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Armenia Observes Spitak Earthquake Anniversary

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  • Armenia Observes Spitak Earthquake Anniversary

    ARMENIA OBSERVES SPITAK EARTHQUAKE ANNIVERSARY

    Xinhua General News Service
    December 7, 2010 Tuesday 9:40 AM EST
    China

    Armenia on Tuesday observed the 22nd anniversary of the Spitak
    earthquake that claimed the lives of at least 25,000 people and left
    140,000 people disabled, news reaching here said.

    The Armenian parliament began its Tuesday session with a one-minute
    silence while other memorial activities were held in other places of
    the country.

    The national seismic protection commission held special
    awareness-arousing activities by publicizing the hazards of
    earthquakes.

    Alvaro Antonyan, chief of the commission, urged more attention be
    paid to the pre-construction ground surveys for high-rise apartment
    buildings and that more attention be paid to the seismic resistance
    of buildings.

    The Spitak earthquake, occurred at 11:41 a.m. local time on Dec. 7
    of 1988, smashed the towns of Spitak and nearby Leninakan (now Gyumri).

    The tremor was strongly felt in Yerevan and Tbilisi. The quake measured
    6.9 on the Richter scale.

    Alvaro Antonyan warned that big earthquakes hit Armenia every 30-40
    years and that future earthquakes can be more destructive in that
    Yerevan and other Armenian towns are overloaded with residents in
    high buildings.

    "In the current state of affairs, the aftermaths will be heavy. It
    may result in nearly 200,000 victims," warned the seismologist.




    From: A. Papazian
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