Dariali Gorge evacuated after minor earthquake

Authorities have instructed a full evacuation of Dariali Gorge after a weak earthquake struck the area this afternoon.

About 170 emergency response teams working at the site to clean up after the May 17 landslide were cleared from the area and are all safe, officials said.

An alarm signal sounded just before 3pm to alert people in the area of movement in the mountains. Any movement could result in a landslide, officials said.

Representatives from the Ministry of Infrastructure and emergency services have since inspected the area. Experts said there was no reason to panic and work would be restored in the area shortly.

For the past two and a half weeks, emergency crews have worked at the Gorge to unblock the area and remove excess debris from the valley floor following the May 17 landslide.

Work is continuing to dig a new path for the river and deepen the river bed.

The border crossing at Larsi, which is the only border point between Georgia and Russia, still remains closed.

Meanwhile, the Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Department of the European Commission (ECHO) visited Georgia on May 25 to June 2 and established several stations on high points in the nearby mountains where specialist equipment would monitor the environment to determine the future risk of landslides.

One of these alarms was activated today following the small earthquake.