At least 16 killed in landslide in Georgia

English Español Français العربية Русский

RSS Newsletters

Radio TV

LANGUAGE
English Español Français العربية Русский Documentary CCTV+

Radio TV

Download

Rescuers evacuate people from the area affected by a landslide in the Racha Region, Georgia August 4, 2023. REUTERS/Irakli Gedenidze

At least 16 people were killed and dozens were missing after a landslide at a resort town in northwestern Georgia, officials said Saturday.

The landslide took place on Thursday in Shovi, a small resort town in Georgia's mountainous northwest famed for its vast forests and mineral water springs.

Images showed rescue workers picking through debris partially buried by earth, while teams worked to shift the soil.

More than 200 people were evacuated from the area, officials said Friday, as helicopters and rescue dogs were dispatched to help with the search efforts.

Shovi, located in a remote valley about 140 kilometres (87 miles) northwest of the capital Tbilisi, lies on the confluence of two rivers.

The Red Cross said bridges and roads in the area had been destroyed.

One survivor said she spent two hours half-buried in the landslide.

Heavy rains and flooding are fairly common in Georgia, where steep slopes pose a risk of landslides.

In 2008, six people were killed by a landslide in the southern Black Sea region of Adjara.

Source(s): AFP