Armenians remember devastating 1988 earthquake

Yerevan - Armenians spent Sunday commemorating a devastating earthquake that left about 25,000 people dead on December 7, 1988.

The earthquake, which also left about 500,000 homeless, marked the first time that the Soviet Union - to which Armenia belonged in 1988 - allowed foreign aid workers to enter its territory.

As part of the day's ceremonies, President Serzh Sargsyan was expected to approve a memorial to the earthquake's victims in the town of Gyumri.

Russian leaders also expressed their commemorations and condolences. President Dmitry Medvedev wrote to the Armenian government: "This great tragedy left no one unaffected." Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin spoke of a "horrible catastrophe for all people of the Soviet Union."

Striking just after midnight in 1988, the earthquake immediately leveled about 60 villages. Some areas have yet to fully recover from the catastrophe. (dpa)

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