24 Aftershocks Recorded Following Ashotsk Earthquake with a Maximum Magnitude of 2.4, Ministry of Emergency Situations

On January 18, at 05:28 local time, an earthquake was registered in the southwestern part of the Republic of Armenia, 10 km southeast of the village of Ashotsk in the Shirak region. The seismic event had a magnitude of 3.6 on the Richter scale, with an intensity of 4-5 in the epicentral area and a hypocentral depth of 10 km.

The earthquake was followed by 24 aftershocks, the strongest of which reached a magnitude of 2.4, according to the reports from the Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES).

This seismic activity occurs in the Javakheti seismic extension zone, characterized by a large number of minor seismic shocks, and it is typical for multiple aftershocks to follow moderate earthquakes. Therefore, the earthquake registered on January 18 and the subsequent aftershocks are not unusual for the Javakheti region and should not cause panic.

The Territorial Service for Seismic Protection of the MES maintains round-the-clock duty and constant monitoring of the seismic situation, regularly assessing the current seismic hazard in the territories of Armenia and Artsakh. The diminishing aftershocks indicate that seismic activity is decreasing.