A powerful lightning strike has damaged the cross and dome of St. Karapet Church at the Sevanavank monastic complex, leaving significant structural harm in the wake of the sudden incident.
Father Minas Martirosyan, the Abbot of Sevanavank, reported that the incident occurred on Sunday at approximately 5:30 PM during evening service. At the time of the strike, the main service was taking place in the complex's other church, Holy Apostles (Surb Arakelots). Nevertheless, visitors and worshippers were present near the damaged St. Karapet Church at that moment.
Fortunately, there were no casualties or injuries resulting from the incident; however, the upper section of the historical structure requires extensive repairs.
Damage inflicted on historical and cultural monuments by natural disasters always demands special attention, as it concerns the preservation of national heritage. In this instance, the most critical aspect is that no lives were harmed despite the presence of visitors in the area.
The immediate priority is now the swift response of specialist teams to accurately assess the extent of damage to the church's dome and cross. Restoration work must be carried out as promptly as possible to prevent precipitation from causing further damage to the structure.
