Caucasus suffers from earthquake

On October 11, a wave of an earthquake rolled over a number of regions in North and South Caucasus. The underground shocks were felt in Chechnya, Dagestan, Ingushetia, Kabardino-Balkaria, South and North Ossetia and in the Stavropol krai, as well as in Armenia and Georgia. The epicenter was in Chechnya, its magnitude was 8 points. The biggest damage was inflicted on Chechnya.

The number of casualties in Chechnya was 13 people. Additionally, approximately 116 victims were brought to the republic's hospitals. More than 60 people were brought to the Gudermes city hospital.

The earthquake inflicted significant damage to the republic's infrastructure. Six administrative buildings were ruined or seriously damaged in Gudermes, the railway bridge across the river Argun was damaged. There are damages in Kurchaloyev, Shalinsk and Gudermes districts, as well as in the cities of Grozny and Argun. The roads in the mountain regions of Chechnya were seriously damaged.

According to initial information, there are no casualties in Ingushetia. However, several schools and old buildings were destroyed in the towns of Malgobek, Karabulak and in the Sunszensk district of Ingushetia, reports "RIA Novosti".

In South Ossetia, the earthquake intensity was on the level of 2 points. The local emergency units expect new quakes.

The intensity of the first quakes in Makhachkala was 4 points by the MSK 12 point scale, at 16:29, Makhachkala residents experienced a second quake which was weaker but still sufficiently noticeable. Generally, the strongest quake in Dagestan was on the level of five points, reports "Gazeta.ru".

The strong North Caucasus earthquake wave reached Armenia, too. The intensity of quakes in the towns of Idzhevan and Noyemberian, Tavush district of the country, was 3-4 points, a 3 point quake was registered in the town of Vanadzor, Lori region, and Gumri, Shirak region. No destructions or casualties were reported.

Approximately at the same time,  an earthquake of up to 5.4 points occurred yesterday, October 11, in Tbilisi and a number of other towns and districts in East Georgia. No destructions or casualties were reported, either.

See earlier report: "12 persons killed in Chechnya as a result of the earthquake".