At least six dead and 31 missing from landslide in Georgia
At least six people have died and another 31 are missing due to a landslide in the mountain resort of Shovi, in north Georgia, the Georgian Interior Ministry reported on Friday.
The natural disaster, which occurred on Thursday night, devastated the resort, located next to the Chankaji River, from which more than 200 people have already been evacuated by helicopter.
“Rescue teams continue to search for the missing,” said the country's infrastructure minister, Irakli Karseladze.
Heartbreaking images from Shovi, Racha – a massive landslide caused by heavy rain devastated the resort area. The only bridge linking Shovi to the rest of Georgia got swept away, leaving locals waiting for help for hours before the choppers finally arrived. pic.twitter.com/D5pTYBuIhv
— George Melashvili 🇺🇦🇬🇪 (@geomel_ge) August 3, 2023
“It is the largest known natural disaster in western Georgia, except for the earthquake that occurred in 1991 in the Racha region,” geologist Merab Gaprindashvili told local media from Shovi.
According to Gaprindashvli, the landslide has been caused by torrential rains in recent days, added to the thawing of two glaciers in the Caucasus mountain range near Shovi.