Two earthquakes hit Armenia on December 7, 1988, killing 60,000 people and destroying nearly half a million buildings. Thirty-two years ago, on December 7, 1988, one of the most terrible tragedies in the modern history of Armenia took place. Despite tensions between the Soviet Union and the United States as a result of the Cold War, according to The Washington Post, in response to the earthquake, the Soviet Union asked for and received aid from the United States. On December 7, 1988, an earthquake shattered the north of Soviet Armenia. “Many of these psychological effects that were initially identified continued to persist in this population some 23 years later, affecting not only their mental health and quality of life, but in many cases their physical health as well,” said Haroutune K. Armenian, an epidemiologist at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, in an article in the school’s magazine in 2015. A total of 189 such individuals were identified through neighbourhood polyclinics in the city of Leninakan and 159 noninjured controls were selected from the same neighbourhoods. Seismic analysis revealed a complex seismic waveform pattern “significantly more complex than those normally seen for an event of this size,” according to a 1993 study in Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth. At 11:41 a.m., the earthquake damaged nearly a third of the small country and destroyed the town of Spitak near the epicenter. By the time the Soviet Union collapsed, less than 20% of the lost housing had been rebuilt. After a brief photo-op with President-elect George Bush Sr. and President Ronald Reagan, Gorbachov cut his trip short and flew back to Moscow. In the final month of 1988, Armenia was struck by an earthquake that absolutely devastated the northern region of the country and displaced hundreds of thousands of people, throwing many into housing insecurity that's lasted over 30 years. All rights reserved. But Armenia is not historically devoid of seismic activity and has seen numerous devastating earthquakes. Upwards of 10,000 people were reported to have been killed, mostly by the resulting landslides. With average winter temperatures of 14 degrees Fahrenheit, residents in Gyumri have to use small portable stoves to keep warm. Soviet officials had claimed that restoration would be completed within two years. According to Associated Press, the plane was carrying medical supplies and tragically all seven crew members died in the crash. This mountain system began to form during the Late Triassic, largely from the tectonic collision between the Arabian Plate and the Eurasian Plate. The rupture occurred between 5 and 7 kilometers deep within the Pambak-Sevan thrust and fold zone at the base of the Lesser Caucasus Mountains. Rescue efforts continued until December 24th, after which the focus turned towards large scale clearing of the rubble. What really happened with that huge earthquake in Armenia? On 7 December 1988 a devastating earthquake in northern Armenia killed 25,000 and left hundreds of thousands homeless in the Soviet republic. Since electricity and lights were unavailable during the first night, rescue efforts had to be put on hold during the evening and night until there was light. Hundreds of local medical workers were also injured and killed, and more than "500 medical institutions" were destroyed, making it extremely difficult to treat those who were injured and get first aid to the site on time. And although the Red Cross implemented training for emergency-response techniques and first-aid skills in the region, residents in the region are dismissive of these measures, claiming that compared to another earthquake, "unemployment and poverty are more terrifying.". The quake, known as the Spitak earthquake, killed between 25,000 and 60,000 people, injured up to 130,000, and left more than 500,000 homeless. Click here for all copyright requests. In many places, there weren't enough cranes with which to clear the rubble, leaving people to "work with bare hands.". Biggest quake: 2.9 quake 18 km south of Karanlukh, Gegharkunik, Armenia, 4 … Meanwhile, the first rescue teams didn't arrive until December 10, with chances of survival falling under 50% within six hours after an earthquake. Armenia is a small country about the size of Maryland that borders Turkey to the west, Iran to the south, Azerbaijan to the east and Georgia to the north. Additionally, the AmeriCares Foundation of New Canaan, Conn., sent a plane with 45 tons of medical supplies. However, according to Earth Magazine, these quakes didn't receive much attention because few thought that there was a serious seismic risk in the region. “Over the last two weeks, the hearts of the American people have gone out to the people of Armenia as they grappled with the earthquake disaster and its aftermath,” said President Reagan in a Dec. 22 speech in the White House. Whenever the plates moving beneath Armenia … The earthquake left deep scars on the land, as well as on the lives of survivors. Armenian and international foundations have been primarily responsible for building over 20,000 apartments since 1988. However, according to Earth Magazine, these quakes didn't receive much attention because few thought that there was a serious seismic risk in the region. The supplies included three kidney dialysis machines to help victims crushed by collapsing buildings who experienced kidney failure. One of several reasons why so many buildings suffered so much damage is that the Soviet Union "had only one building code for the entire territory," regardless of whether or not the building was in a coastal or earthquake region. The … “In the Armenian Republic, thousands of people have died,” Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard A. Shevardnadze said at a news conference on Dec. 8, 1988. In several cases, relief teams ended up stuck in Moscow because officials simply didn't know where to send them. International media reports noted criticism of the Soviet Union for its slow response and lack of preparedness. It was a message of peace.”. She is a graduate of the science communication program at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and holds a master’s degree in marine biology from Florida Atlantic University. Augliere is a freelance writer and photographer and a former editorial intern with EARTH. Officials think that it could take 10-15 more years to get rid of all the temporary shelters, but there still isn't a plan to ensure housing security for all of the displacement caused by the 1988 earthquake in Armenia and its aftermath. (December 7, 1988) Earthquakes have frequently hit Armenia throughout history. Post-earthquake studies have revealed that roughly once every 50 years, Armenia can expect an earthquake exceeding VII on the Medvedev-Sponheuer-Karnik (MSK) scale, which evaluates the severity of ground shaking, somewhat similar to the Modified Mercalli scale, and suggested that building code standards should be improved. © 2008-2020. After the Soviet Union fell, Azerbaijan put a fuel embargo on Armenia in response to the war over Nagorno-Karabakh, blocking a natural gas pipeline from Turkmenistan. Hospitals and schools collapsed, and electrical and water supplies were cut off. According to The New York Times, most of the medical assistance that was sent for the earthquake, unfortunately, ended up being "of little value. Dec. 8, 1988: Earthquake in Armenia. According to Reuters, in 2008, the President Serzh Sarksyan pledged that rehousing and rebuilding the region would be complete by 2012, but the government keeps claiming delays due to "technical difficulties." According to EVN Report, some of the delay was caused by "local bureaucracy wait[ing] for orders from the top." Despite the international relief efforts, the earthquake zone is still considered a disaster zone, and rebuilding has been slow, with recovery hampered by the collapse of the Soviet Union and subsequent war with Azerbaijan. According to EVN Report, in Leninakan, 18,000 people were found in the ruins, "out of which 8,000 survived." Abstract The study attempts to identify predictors of injuries among persons who were hospitalized following the Armenian earthquake of 7 December 1988. economy of the region was also in shambles, Journal of Emergency and Internal Medicine, The Earthquake of Spitak, Armenia, and Its Socio-economic Implications, Nagorno-Karabakh's annexation referendum in 1988, past their expiry date and therefore unusable. Military troops were also dispatched by the Soviets, but since their training was in post-nuclear blast recovery efforts rather than earthquake relief, they were of little practical assistance. Latest earthquakes in or near Armenia past 30 days. Here's what really happened with that huge earthquake in Armenia. On December 11th, a Soviet cargo jet crashed as it reached the Leninakan airport, resulting in the deaths of 78 people. For trapped individuals, death rates were 81.4%. Environmental groups opposed reopening of the plant, since it poses an environmental threat. On 7 December 1988 a colossal earthquake hit Armenia, leading to the deaths of 20,000 people. And with inadequate local dialysis infrastructure, "with no preconceived regional or international organizations for renal rescue analysis," by the time it was possible to treat people with crush syndrome, the severe cases had already passed away while the mild and moderate ones had already recovered. It was followed four minutes later by a magnitude-5.9 aftershock; together these quakes caused extensive damage across a 400-square-kilometer area. In an attempt to offset a six-year-old energy crisis caused by blockades by Azerbaijan and Turkey, the Armenian government in mid-1995 reactivated a nuclear power plant at Metsamor, close since 1988. after the catastrophic earthquake in northern Armenia. In 1996 the seismic zoning maps were redrawn for the entire country, and in 1994, and again in 2006, the building codes were strengthened. And unfortunately, without food or water and the increasingly cold weather of winter, the death toll climbed steadily despite the rescue efforts. It left more than 25,000 people dead, over 15,000 wounded needing urgent care, and more than half a million homeless. According to the Journal of Emergency and Internal Medicine, nearly 600 people experienced acute kidney failure associated with crush syndrome. ", All of this resulted in a massive disruption of the reconstruction plans. Rescue efforts underway after earthquake strikes the Soviet republic of Armenia. “Those of you who answered the appeal for help, who have assisted in the relief effort, and those who flew to the Soviet Union and sifted through the rubble, searching for life against all odds, carried with you a message from America.