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A violent overnight hailstorm and torrential rain crippled traffic in Armenia's second-largest city, Gyumri, leaving swathes of neighborhoods submerged under water and encased in ice as layers reached up to 1.5 meters, municipal officials said on Thursday.

Authorities reported the most severe disruption near the bridge connecting Teryan Street to Akhuryan, where massive ice deposits and floodwaters rendered the route impassable. "The volume of precipitation was unprecedented," said Andranik Chadryan, acting head of Gyumri's municipal utilities department. "Despite the drainage systems functioning, the sheer quantity of water made timely removal impossible."

Emergency crews worked through the night in crisis mode, deploying heavy machinery to clear thick ice sheets and reopen blocked roads. The Interior Ministry's Rescue Service said its Shirak regional center received numerous distress calls after midnight, with homes inundated and vehicles trapped.

Rescue crews carried out evacuations, freed stranded cars and undertook drainage operations to mitigate further damage. Local authorities said that recovery efforts would continue throughout the day.