Almost 80% of Yerevan buildings not earthquake-proof

PanARMENIAN.Net - Chairman of the Armenian Association of Seismic Resistant Constructions, Professor Michael Melkumyan said that around 80% of Yerevan buildings will suffer in case of an earthquake similar to the one in 1988.

Overpopulated and overloaded with constructions downtown Yerevan is potentially dangerous from the point of view of seismic stability, Melkumyan told journalists on December 7.

According to the expert, in case of an earthquake in Yerevan the number of victims may reach 300,000 people.

“We live in a seismically active zone and should not forget 1988 Spitak earthquake, like the Armenian Genocide,” he said.

In his opinion, neither buildings constructed during the Soviet era, nor newly constructed elite buildings meet the required safety level in Yerevan.

“Unfortunately, I cannot say that we are adequately ready to withstand a disaster. Definitely, great actions are taken in this direction: we have the National Seismic Protection Service and Ministry of Emergency Situations; national norms of seismic stability have been set in compliance with international standards. If we construct buildings in accordance with them, we will have reliable constructions. One should conceive that the disregard of earthquake repetition risk will lead to a catastrophe, which will be disastrous for our nation,” said Michael Melkumyan.