According to Associated Press, the plane was carrying medical supplies and tragically all seven crew members died in the crash. The effects of the earthquake were absolutely devastating. Biggest quake: 2.9 quake 18 km south of Karanlukh, Gegharkunik, Armenia, 4 … Rumbles from the quake were felt as far as Georgia and Azerbaijan. International media reports noted criticism of the Soviet Union for its slow response and lack of preparedness. She is a graduate of the science communication program at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and holds a master’s degree in marine biology from Florida Atlantic University. And although the Red Cross implemented training for emergency-response techniques and first-aid skills in the region, residents in the region are dismissive of these measures, claiming that compared to another earthquake, "unemployment and poverty are more terrifying.". Much of the medications that were sent to Armenia were also "past their expiry date and therefore unusable.". The destruction happened so fast that people thought the city had been bombed. ", All of this resulted in a massive disruption of the reconstruction plans. Any copying, redistribution or retransmission of any of the contents of this service without the expressed written permission of the American Geosciences Institute is expressly prohibited. But he had no thought of turning back. In 735 A.D., the Vayots Dzor Province was struck by an earthquake with aftershocks that lasted for 40 days. Armenia is a small country about the size of Maryland that borders Turkey to the west, Iran to the south, Azerbaijan to the east and Georgia to the north. However, as of 2020, thousands of people in the region still live in the temporary shelters provided in the aftermath of the earthquake. Gorbachev cut short his trip to fly back to Moscow. The … Innumerable apartment buildings and industrial facilities collapsed or faced heavy damage. However, according to Earth Magazine, these quakes didn't receive much attention because few thought that there was a serious seismic risk in the region. “In the Armenian Republic, thousands of people have died,” Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard A. Shevardnadze said at a news conference on Dec. 8, 1988. At 11:41 a.m., the earthquake damaged nearly a third of the small country and destroyed the town of Spitak near the epicenter. Additionally, the AmeriCares Foundation of New Canaan, Conn., sent a plane with 45 tons of medical supplies. According to "The 1988 Earthquake in Soviet Armenia," upwards of 30% of people received "no on-site medical assistance" and many were taken to hospitals in Soviet Georgia or unaffected parts of Armenia. Then-Armenian Assembly Board Chairman Hirair Hovnanian leading a delegation bringing humanitarian relief to Armenia after the 1988 earthquake WASHINGTON, D.C. – On the 30th Anniversary of the Spitak Earthquake, the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) remembers the thousands of lives lost and villages destroyed after a massive earthquake, registering 6.9 on the Richter Scale, struck… All rights reserved. Augliere is a freelance writer and photographer and a former editorial intern with EARTH. Armenia. Spitak (Armenian: Սպիտակ), is a town and urban municipal community in the northern Lori Province of Armenia.It is 96 km (60 mi) north of the capital, Yerevan, and 22 km (14 mi) west of the provincial centre, Vanadzor.Spitak was entirely destroyed during the devastating 1988 earthquake, and it was rebuilt in a slightly different location. Overall, 342 villages and 11 cities were damaged. And with so many of the roads destroyed and blocked by rubble, by the time relief crews finally arrived, they were "too late to save many lives," per VAHS. Even Pope John Paul II donated $100,000. Crush syndrome occurs as a result of toxins being released by crushed muscle tissue. According to EVN Report, in Leninakan, 18,000 people were found in the ruins, "out of which 8,000 survived." Although some people were rescued as long as 19 days after the earthquake, thousands succumbed to hypothermia in the freezing winter conditions. STEPANAKERT, DECEMBER 7, ARTSAKHPRESS: At 11:41 on that day, the northern regions of the Armenian SSR were shocked by a devastating earthquake, which was named after the epicenter as the … On Dec 7 1988 a devastating earthquake hit the Soviet republic of Armenia, killing around 25,000 people. It arrived too late for emergency medical treatment." Dec. 8, 1988: Earthquake in Armenia. Two-thirds of the victims were under 18. Updated 13 Dec 2020 18:56 GMT - There were 3 quakes of magnitude 2.0+ in or near Armenia during the past 30 days, the largest largest being a 2.9 event. Many consider the poor living conditions to be responsible for their health problems. A strike-slip component in the rupture meant that the blocks also moved laterally past each other, rather than just up or down. The story was quickly picked up by the international media, but it soon turned out that the story was fabricated by reporter Artyom Shahbazian in an effort to remind the international community of the disaster. On December 7, 1988, an earthquake devastated the northwestern section of Armenia, killing an estimated 25,000 people. On December 11th, Gorbachev visited Leninakan to witness the damage and talk to survivors. Along with the collapse of the Trans-Caucasus electrical grid, Armenia was left with little-to-no heat and electricity for 1-2 hours a day, plunging Armenia into the "dark and cold years. It was followed four minutes later by a magnitude-5.9 aftershock; together these quakes caused extensive damage across a 400-square-kilometer area. Relief didn’t just come from the U.S. India sent a 42-member medical team, France sent 200 rescue workers and doctors, Cuba sent blood donations and Pope John Paul II contributed $100,000. Coupled with non-compatible medical equipment, the relief effort mostly just exposed the poor planning and flaws when it came to international humanitarian aid. Spitak was almost completely demolished and the towns of Leninakan (Gyumri), Stepanavan, and Kirovakan (Vanadzor) were all greatly affected. The supplies included three kidney dialysis machines to help victims crushed by collapsing buildings who experienced kidney failure. Over 200 people required dialysis, but even though there were at least 100 dialysis machines, there was "no organized international support structure with appropriate training and deployment strategies." List of earthquakes in Armenia. The 1988 Armenian earthquake, also known as the Spitak earthquake (Սպիտակի երկրաշարժ, Spitaki yerkrasharj), occurred on December 7 at 11:41 local time with a surface wave magnitude of 6.8 and a maximum MSK intensity of X (Devastating). Often, it took up to five hours to travel 46 miles in order to reach hospitals in Yerevan. This was the first time the Soviet Union had accepted help from the U.S. government since World War II. Submitted 18 June 1998 by Debra < QEagle@aol.com > as a Father's Day offering. Although there were attempts to direct gas pipelines from Georgia, "seven times from late January to mid-March 1993, Azerbaijani saboteurs blew up gas pipelines in Marneuli." Witness speaks to Anahit Karapetian who was trapped for hours under the rubble of her school. And with inadequate local dialysis infrastructure, "with no preconceived regional or international organizations for renal rescue analysis," by the time it was possible to treat people with crush syndrome, the severe cases had already passed away while the mild and moderate ones had already recovered. Northern Armenia comprises a mountainous plateau interspersed with populated river valleys and is home to a portion of the Caucasus Mountains, which sit along an active seismic belt spanning from the Alps in southern Europe to the Himalayas in Asia. In June 1679, an earthquake with an epicenter in Garni yielded aftershocks that lasted until October and at least 1,228 people died in the village of Kanaker. Meanwhile, the first rescue teams didn't arrive until December 10, with chances of survival falling under 50% within six hours after an earthquake. It was the strongest recorded earthquake in the Caucasus region in 1,000 years, the most destructive quake in the world since the 1976 Tangshan earthquake in China, and one of the most lethal of the 20th century. By the time the Soviet Union collapsed, less than 20% of the lost housing had been rebuilt. Armenia is located on the Alpine-Himalayan belt, or the Alpide belt, which is a seismic belt that runs from the Alps to the Himalayas, formed out of the tectonic collision between the Eurasian Plate and the Arabian Plate, per Earth Magazine. The devastating earthquake, measuring 10 degrees on the MSK scale, took place in 40% of the territory of Armenia at 11:41 (local time), December 7, 1988. On the morning of December 7th, it became clear that the previous quakes were merely foreshocks to the main quake, which hit at 11:41 AM local time, measuring a magnitude of 6.8-7.0. One of several reasons why so many buildings suffered so much damage is that the Soviet Union "had only one building code for the entire territory," regardless of whether or not the building was in a coastal or earthquake region. Aftershocks continued in the area for months, some as large as magnitude 5.0. In several cases, relief teams ended up stuck in Moscow because officials simply didn't know where to send them. Armenia has had: (M1.5 or greater) 0 earthquakes in the past 24 hours 0 earthquakes in the past 7 days; 0 earthquakes in the past 30 days; 30 earthquakes in the past 365 days But Armenia is not historically devoid of seismic activity and has seen numerous devastating earthquakes. Rescue efforts underway after earthquake strikes the Soviet republic of Armenia – ABC News Thirty years ago this month, on Dec. 7, 1988, a magnitude-6.8 earthquake shook the northern region of the then-Soviet republic of Armenia. “Despite the fact that all necessary measures are being taken … Mikhail Gorbachev believes that when … With the collapse of the Soviet Union three years later, reconstruction became even more of an arduous task. With average winter temperatures of 14 degrees Fahrenheit, residents in Gyumri have to use small portable stoves to keep warm. Officials think that it could take 10-15 more years to get rid of all the temporary shelters, but there still isn't a plan to ensure housing security for all of the displacement caused by the 1988 earthquake in Armenia and its aftermath. Even decades later, about 500 victims of the earthquake remain living in what was intended to be temporary, makeshift housing. The rupture occurred between 5 and 7 kilometers deep within the Pambak-Sevan thrust and fold zone at the base of the Lesser Caucasus Mountains. In 1989 an 8.2 earthquake almost flattened Armenia, killing over 30,000 people in less than four minutes. However, 30 years later, thousands remain living in temporary houses or "domik" shanties created from old shipping containers. This is an incomplete list of earthquakes in Armenia. Thirty-two years ago, on December 7, 1988, one of the most terrible tragedies in the modern history of Armenia took place. Hospitals and schools collapsed, and electrical and water supplies were cut off. On December 7th 1988 Armenia was hit by a massive earthquake that claimed the lives of 25, 000 people and destroyed several cities. The next day, it became obvious that this small event was a foreshock. However, according to Earth Magazine, these quakes didn't receive much attention because few thought that there was a serious seismic risk in the region. According to Radio Free Europe, a story published in January 1989 about six men being found 35 days after the earthquake, surviving on canned pickles and fruits, ended up being too good to be true. The Armenian National Survey for Seismic Protection was founded in 1991, in addition to the Emergency Management Administration. An Armenian man who was found digging with his fingers and hands was told by a doctor that if he continued to dig that way, he risked amputation. Post-earthquake studies have revealed that roughly once every 50 years, Armenia can expect an earthquake exceeding VII on the Medvedev-Sponheuer-Karnik (MSK) scale, which evaluates the severity of ground shaking, somewhat similar to the Modified Mercalli scale, and suggested that building code standards should be improved. On December 7, 1988, an earthquake with a magnitude of6.9 on the Richter Scale struck Armenia (population 3.5 million). Many children ended up being sent to the United States for medical treatment, staying there during their recovery until going back to Armenia. December 1988. On 7 December 1988 a colossal earthquake hit Armenia, leading to the deaths of 20,000 people. A total of 189 such individuals were identified through neighbourhood polyclinics in the city of Leninakan and 159 noninjured controls were selected from the same neighbourhoods. “Those of you who answered the appeal for help, who have assisted in the relief effort, and those who flew to the Soviet Union and sifted through the rubble, searching for life against all odds, carried with you a message from America. Whenever the plates moving beneath Armenia … Armenian and international foundations have been primarily responsible for building over 20,000 apartments since 1988. The Spitak earthquake shattered the peace of Armenia 32 years ago. Abstract The study attempts to identify predictors of injuries among persons who were hospitalized following the Armenian earthquake of 7 December 1988. Meanwhile, Gorbachev's government tried to distract people by shifting the blame for the earthquake's destruction onto former leader Leonid Brezhnev rather than address its own shortcomings. According to the book, Armenia in Crisis: The 1988 Earthquake, the man answered: “What do my hands matter, everything I cherish is under there – my son, my daughter, my wife and my mother.” 140,000 people were injured and 500,000 more were left homeless. Despite international efforts towards rebuilding homes, only about 20% of Spitak's pre-quake homes were rebuilt by 1998. But the region had no historic record of seismic events above magnitude 5.7 and thus it had received little attention in seismic hazard studies. The world united with an outpouring of assistance for relief efforts, which was desperately needed. On the morning of Dec. 7, the mainshock hit, strongly shaking the region for 30 seconds. This mountain system began to form during the Late Triassic, largely from the tectonic collision between the Arabian Plate and the Eurasian Plate. Coordinates. Following an appeal for assistance from … Dozens more aftershocks occurred over the next several months. Two earthquakes hit Armenia on December 7, 1988, killing 60,000 people and destroying nearly half a million buildings. According to EVN Report, some of the delay was caused by "local bureaucracy wait[ing] for orders from the top." In all, 111 countries, 7 international organizations, and 53 national chapters of the Red Cross provided help to Armenia. On 7 December 1988, Armenia was hit by a devastating earthquake. Despite Cold War tensions, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who was in the U.S. on the day of the quake visiting the United Nations and meeting with President Ronald Reagan, asked for humanitarian aid from the United States within days of the event. As a result, the region has been plagued by sever earthquakes for thousands of years: an earthquake in 893 A.D. took an estimated 20,000 lives; another in 1667 took 80,000 lives. However, during this period, the skies were dangerously crowded with planes coming in to supply aid. “Many of these psychological effects that were initially identified continued to persist in this population some 23 years later, affecting not only their mental health and quality of life, but in many cases their physical health as well,” said Haroutune K. Armenian, an epidemiologist at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, in an article in the school’s magazine in 2015. This disaster produced an unprecedented worldwide response to its traumatic consequences. Gorbachev was asleep in a New York hotel when the quake hit. After the Soviet Union fell, Azerbaijan put a fuel embargo on Armenia in response to the war over Nagorno-Karabakh, blocking a natural gas pipeline from Turkmenistan. The city of Dvin was completely destroyed by an earthquake in 893 A.D., with casualties ranging from 30,000 to 70,000. Volunteers from international countries left because of a collapsed infrastructure and lack of construction materials. Upwards of 10,000 people were reported to have been killed, mostly by the resulting landslides. Almost 90% of schools were also lost. As a result, there were few seismic hazard studies done in the region. After a brief photo-op with President-elect George Bush Sr. and President Ronald Reagan, Gorbachov cut his trip short and flew back to Moscow. Roughly two-thirds of those who perished as a result of the earthquake were under the age of 18 since the quake struck during the day while most children were at school. For more of her work visit http://www.bethanyaugliere.com. © 2008-2020. The earthquake left deep scars on the land, as well as on the lives of survivors. On the day of the quake, two men arrive in their home town only to be caught up in the terrible events and must work together to rescue as … In one small town, just after the earthquake, a father rushed to his son's school only to find that the school had been flattened. Although there was a rumor that orphaned children were being given away to non-Armenian families, the rumor was never substantiated and likely came about due to misinformation and miscommunication. In northern Armenia, the 600-kilometer-long Lesser Caucasus Mountains experience north-south compression as the two plates converge, giving rise to seismic active in recent times: a magnitude-5 earthquake hit Spitak in 1967, a magnitude-5.7 earthquake struck Leninakan (now Gyumri) in 1926, and a magnitude-5.3 event hit Kirovakan in 1911. 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