Experts raise alarm: 80% of Azerbaijan's territory at risk of severe earthquakes

According to official data, 80% of Azerbaijan's territory belongs to an 8-point seismic zone, and 20% to a 9-point zone.

As reported by Baku.ws, Elkhan Asadov, Deputy Head of the State Agency for Construction Safety Supervision under the Ministry of Emergency Situations, stated this in an interview with Report.

According to him, Azerbaijan is located in a seismically active zone, which requires special attention to construction processes. Until 1961, the seismic factor was not taken into account when constructing buildings. From that year, the territory of the Azerbaijan SSR was classified as a 7-point seismic zone.

In 1981, new construction standards for seismic regions were approved. According to these standards, most of the country's territory was declared a 7-point zone, and about 20% an 8-point zone. In 2010, Azerbaijan developed national construction standards for seismic regions, according to which about 20% of the country's territory is classified as a 9-point zone, and the rest as an 8-point zone.