Temur Mghebrishvili, the Emergency Situations Management Service Head, provided detailed information to journalists regarding the ongoing efforts and progress in mitigating the consequences of the landslide in Shovi, Racha.

Mghebrishvili stressed helicopters were dispatched from both Tbilisi and Kutaisi as soon as alerted. However, bad weather conditions halted the Kutaisi helicopter take-off.

“At 3:10 PM on August 3, a call was made to 112 reporting people trapped in the landslide. Immediate actions were taken to mobilize rescuers and aviation. Helicopters from Tbilisi and Kutaisi were dispatched, however, the Kutaisi helicopter couldn’t take off due to meteorological conditions. Two border police helicopters were dispatched from Tbilisi. The first helicopter reached the disaster site in less than three hours. The Acting Minister of Internal Affairs and the Deputy Minister, heads of the emergency management service, went to the disaster site. The helicopter involved in the rescue efforts landed in the disaster zone, on the territory adjacent to Sunset Shovi in rather difficult meteorological conditions, and evacuated 70 people from the area,” explained Temur Mghebrishvili.

He further noted that the rescuers employed thermal drones throughout the first night of the disaster. However, aviation could not be involved in search operations due to the challenging terrain.

“The disaster perimeter was inspected by helicopter and thermal drones and identified safe spots for evacuation. Additionally, a coordination centre was established, and a hotline was launched to gather information about missing persons.

Thermal drones operated at night, but deploying aviation for search activities was impossible due to security concerns related to the terrain and communication towers in the disaster area,” Mghebrishvili emphasized.

He conveyed his condolences to the families of the deceased on behalf of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and fire rescuers, expressing sadness over the loss of lives.

“As of now, 21 bodies have been found by rescuers, and search operations for 12 individuals are still ongoing. Once again, I extend my condolences to the grieving families. I want to express my deep sympathy to the relatives of the deceased on behalf of both the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the fire rescuers,” concluded Mghebrishvili.