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NINETEEN YEARS LATER
[02:12 pm] 07 December, 2007

Nineteen years ago, in 1988, thousands of people `had a terrible
nightmare’ after the devastating earthquake which ripped through
Armenia. The earthquake struck at 11.41 local time when children were
at school and most people at work.

Within a few minutes 40 percent of the country lay in ruins and became
a zone of disaster.

According to official data, the earthquake took lives of 25 thousand
people. The earthquake epicenter was located in the town of Spitak and
the neighboring 12 villages. It measured 6.9 on the Richter scale and
affected an area 80 kilometres in diameter. Over 363 settlements, 21
cities and 342 villages, were wrecked. 514 thousand people were left
homeless.

The earthquake caused an immeasurable harm to architectural,
historical and cultural monuments. 155 out of 8461 historical
monuments, including five churched, were leveled to the ground.

The overall cost of the disaster was $10 milliard.

Each year RA President, top-ranking officials, political figures and
ordinary people visit the zone of disaster to honour the victims of
the great calamity. Before each election they promise the moon.

19 years have passed since the terrible earthquake but we still use
the phrase `the zone of disaster’ and there are still thousands of
homeless people in Gyumri, Spitak and Kirovakan.