As a result of floods in Armenia’s northern Lori and Tavush provinces, 17 bridges, including five large ones, have collapsed, Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures Gnel Sanosyan told reporters on Monday, May 27.

"Restoring the larger bridges will require significant effort and time. As a result of the collapse of those bridges, a serious problem of communication with settlements has been created,” Sanosyan said.

“Solutions have been found in the case of small communities and there is no communication problem in those communities. With regards to the collapse of large bridges, a communication problem has been created.”

At least three people died and two others went missing on Sunday after rivers in Lori and Tavush overflew their banks, leaving local settlements under water and washing away roads and a bridge.

According to the Interior Ministry, 269 people have been evacuated from their homes.

The flash flooding also forced authorities to close Armenia’s main border crossing with Georgia and suspend rail service between the two countries.