The toll of casualties from a landslide in a resort town in northwestern Georgia rose to at least 16, with authorities reporting numerous people missing, according to their statement on Saturday.
Shovi, a serene resort town nestled in Georgia’s mountainous northwest, renowned for its expansive forests and mineral water springs, was struck by a devastating landslide on Thursday.
‘Sixteen bodies have been found in the disaster area and their identification is underway,’ said Teimuraz Mghebrishvili, from the interior ministry.
Rescue personnel were seen combing through the rubble, partially obscured by layers of earth, as other teams toiled diligently to remove the soil, determined to aid in the rescue operation.
‘An iron bridge over the river was organised, which will allow us to bring all the necessary equipment into the disaster area,’ Mghebrishvili said.
On Friday, officials confirmed that over 200 people were successfully evacuated from the affected area, with rescue helicopters and search dogs promptly deployed to aid in the ongoing search and rescue operations.
Shovi, positioned in a distant valley around 140 kilometres (87 miles) northwest of Tbilisi, the capital city, is situated at the meeting point of two rivers.
According to the Red Cross, bridges and roads in the region have been severely damaged or destroyed.
A survivor recounted spending two hours trapped, with half of her body buried under the debris of the landslide.
‘We suddenly heard a dreadful rumble, and trees began to fall around us,’ Mariam Berianidze, a 25-year-old student, told AFP.
Her earlier social media post revealed that she had witnessed three people being carried away by the force of the incident.
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‘We miraculously survived,’ she told AFP.
‘I still can’t believe how we made it through.’
On Thursday, a geologist named Merab Gaprindashvili, associated with Georgia’s National Environmental Agency, explained that the landslide resulted from a confluence of factors and is not anticipated to recur.
‘In particular, there are two glaciers in the headwaters of the river, which are intensively melting. This was accompanied by heavy rainfall,’ he said in a televised interview.
Russia’s Patriarch Kirill expressed ‘his deepest condolences in connection to the tragedyx to the head of the Georgian Orthodox church, Patriarch Ilia II.
‘I grieve together with the people of fraternal Iveria and hope that the search and rescue operations… will bring good news to everyone who is worried about the fate of their loved ones,’ Kirill said.
Georgia frequently experiences heavy rains and flooding due to its topography, characterised by steep slopes that pose a potential risk of landslides.