The damage caused by the Debed River flood is still being assessed, but it is terribly great, stated Armenia's Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure, Gnel Sanosyan, reports news.am.
"The extent of the damage cannot yet be assessed, but it is terribly great because there are enormous destructions: the interstate highway, bridges, public roads, power lines, gas pipelines, pumping stations, and drinking water lines. This is a lot. People's property has also suffered: private property, courtyards of apartment buildings, cars, shops. Unfortunately, the destruction does not end there; from Alaverdi along the riverbed to Ayrum and Bagratashen, there are also enormous destructions," Sanosyan noted.
According to the minister, the bridges have sunk so much that they are not visible. "There are suspicions that they have either gone underwater or collapsed. It is very difficult to assess this right now."
The minister added that gas pipeline pipes and power supply poles were damaged, and restoration work is underway. "In some places, it was possible to restore power supply; in others, it has not yet been restored. In several areas, water supply was cut off because pipes were damaged and river waters mixed with clean water, so we suspended the supply of poor-quality water."
Sanosyan also reported that in Alaverdi, there is an area that has been cut off from the city due to the bridge's destruction. "Rescue service employees have created temporary structures with the help of ropes and have also delivered food and essential supplies," he added.
Earlier, BMG reported that on the night of May 25, the Debed River overflowed its banks, causing significant damage to the interstate road from Armenia to Georgia. The road is now closed to traffic in both directions.
The Armenia-Georgia road, passing through Vanadzor and Dilijan and the Bagratashen checkpoint, is temporarily inaccessible. Alternative routes suggested are through the Gogavan checkpoint (Tashir-Stepanavan-Vanadzor-Yerevan) and Bavra (Gyumri-Yerevan).
Due to the road damage leading to the Bagratashen checkpoint, the State Revenue Committee urges businesses to temporarily arrange cargo transportation from Georgia to Armenia and back through the Gogavan or Bavra checkpoints.
