Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of Armenia Gnel Sanoysan informed journalists about the establishment of three commissions - republican, regional, and community-based, which are engaged in assessing the destruction following a recent large-scale flood.
He noted that the damage affects various sectors, including major state infrastructures such as interstate roads, local roads, railways, as well as various public and local business centers, parks, and more. "However, at the moment, it is still early to draw final conclusions about the scale of the damage," Sanoysan said.
Currently, the urban planning committee is conducting preliminary investigations to determine the extent of damage to buildings and infrastructure. However, additional time is required to understand which objects can be restored and which are deemed hazardous and require demolition.
The minister noted that the cost of restoration will be significant, considering the diversity and scale of the damage. According to him, the city of Alaverdi and the village of Karkop suffered the most damage, especially the latter, where almost the entire settlement was buried under mud and silt, and active efforts are underway to mitigate the consequences of the disaster.
Earlier, BMG reported that the Armenian government declared several settlements in Lori and Tavush provinces disaster zones following severe floods caused by heavy rains on May 25-26, 2024.
As a result of the disaster, 4 people died, 18 bridges were destroyed, and 7 settlements were cut off from the rest of the region. To address the urgent needs of the local population, 300 million drams (approximately $800,000) have already been allocated.
