Today is a Day of Mourning over Gudauri tragedy
Today is a Day of Mourning over Gudauri tragedy

A Day of Mourning is declared today in Georgia over the July 29 tragedy in Gudauri resort. Georgian state flag flies at half mast at all administrative buildings, the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), Governmental Administration and Parliament.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili declared July 30 a day of mourning after the border police helicopter on a rescue operation in Gudauri crashed, killing eight people.

All eight people on board, the crew, rescuers, and first aid responders died in the crash, Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri said.

The rescue helicopter, which had been called to assist paragliders fell into the ravine, lost control, and crashed in a ravine. One paraglider was injured and a foreign tourist died. The injured paraglider was taken to a hospital.

Corpses of the deceased persons are brought out from the ravine. The search efforts continued for several hours.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, President Salome Zourabichvili, Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili, and Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili extended their condolences to the family members and relatives of the deceased.