A group of people protesting the power cut blocked the entrance to Mestia, the central town of Upper (Zemo) Svaneti, on Wednesday.

The part of Mestia has been facing blackout for more than 24 hours, causing water pipes freezing that left the locals without heating, rally participant Ana Chartolani told GPB First Channel.

Protesters claim the power outage is linked to the so-called mining (bitcoin mining). They said that Mestia Mayor Kapiton Jorjoliani promised to solve the issue, but no official has shown up since then.

Mestia City Hall denies such a pledge that this issue could be solved in a week. They stated that the so-called miners have private owners, and there is no relevant legislation to remove them.

Energo-Pro Georgia released a statement on Tuesday saying power cuts are frequent in winter due to mining works. The company CEO Mikheil Botsvadze said such illegal mining is harmful to the whole Upper Svaneti.