24th anniversary of Spitak Earthquake

Armenia will lay flowers at the memorial of the Armenian Vagankovskoye Cemetery in Moscow and commemoration will be held at the Surb Arutyun Church for victims of the Spitak Earthquake, marking its 24th anniversary.

The earthquake happened at 11.41 am on December 7, 1988. Quakes with a magnitude of up to 10 points destroyed Spitak, 80% of Leninakan, damaged Kirovakan and Stepanavan. 21 cities and 350 villages were damaged. 58 villages were destroyed.

25,000 people died, 140,000 became handicapped, 514,000 homeless. The damage totaled $13 billion.