Commission for organization of events dedicated to 20th anniversary of Spitak earthquake to be formed

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenian President Robert Kocharian signed a decree on formation of a state commission for organization of events dedicated to the 20th anniversary of Spitak earthquake, the RA leader's press office reported.



Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan will head the commission instructed to approve the program of events till January 15, 2008. The government was charged with the task to finance and implement the events scheduled by the program.



December 7, 1988 at 11.4 a.m. local time a severe earthquake destroyed several towns and over 300 villages in Armenia. About 25 thousand people died, 140 thousand were injured and over a million became homeless. Tremors ruined Spitak, Kirovakan (Vanadzor), Leninakan (Gyumri) and Stepanavan. The calamity zone covered some 30 thousand square km; tremors were felt in Yerevan and Tbilisi. Experts say the energy outburst in the epicenter was equivalent to explosion of 10 atomic bombs thrown at Hiroshima.