Earthquake in northern Armenia collapses run-down building

YEREVAN, Feb. 14. /ARKA/. The governor of Armenia's north-western province of Shirak Nazeli Baghdasaryan said the earthquake recorded in the north of Armenia late on February 13 caused some destruction in the provincial capital Gyumri.

The 5.2 magnitude earthquake was recorded by Armenia’s National Seismic Service on February 13 at 22:25 local time (18:25 GMT), 16 km north-west of Bavra, a village located near the border with Georgia. Its origin was located at a depth of 10 km.

The intensity of the shock in the epicenter was 6-7 points. The earthquake was felt in Shirak, Lori and Aragatsotn provinces with magnitude 4-5, as well as in the capital Yerevan and Stepanavan in Lori with magnitude 3-4.

Baghdasaryan earlier said in a Facebook post that the earthquake in Shirak region was strongly felt by residents of Gyumri and Ashotsk. She quoted the head of Ashotsk community Karen Manukyan and head of Shirak Regional Rescue Service Alexan Gezalyan as saying that there were no reports about destructions in Gyumri and Ashotsk.

Baghdasaryan later reported that a run-down building in Gyumri collapsed. She said rescuers were working at the site. She said also that local ambulance services received many calls from residents who complained of high blood tension caused by stress and fear.

According to the governor, power supplies to two neighborhoods in Gyumri, as well as to Marmashen and Haykavan, were cut due to the quake, but were restored at 11:50 p.m. -0-