The Government of Armenia has declared several communities in the Lori and Tavush provinces as disaster zones following severe flooding caused by heavy rains on May 25-26, 2024.
The government's press service reported that the emergency situation was triggered by intense rainfall, leading to significant destruction in the affected regions. As a result, it was decided to designate these areas as disaster zones.
This decision will allow efforts to be concentrated on the recovery of the affected areas, as well as providing prompt assistance and support to local residents.
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.
As a result of the natural disaster, 4 people have died, 18 bridges have been destroyed, and 7 communities have been cut off from the rest of the region.
The damage caused by the overflow of the Debed River has not yet been fully assessed, but it is reported to be devastatingly large, according to the Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of Armenia Gnel Sanosyan.
