Georgia farewells officer who saved seven in Tbilisi flood
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Georgian leaders, high officials and other citizens from all around the country are gathering in a small village in central Georgia today to pay homage to the rescue officer who sacrificed his life to save others during the June 13 deadly flash flood in Tbilisi.
Zurab (Zura) Muzashvili died after he saved seven people then returned to the flooded area to search for other survivors during the major flood, which hit Tbilisi’s Vake-Saburtalo district last Saturday night.
The hero, who was posthumously honoured and awarded a medal for Civic Devotion by Georgia’s President, was buried in his native village of Aghaiani, in the Kaspi district this afternoon.
President Giorgi Margvelashvili said the award was granted for the young man’s "exemplary civic devotion, special civic responsibility and bravery”.
The funeral was attended by the country’s Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri and Justice Minister Thea Tsulukiani.
"This is such a huge loss for our country,” the Prime Minister said, adding Zura was a "real hero”.
"I want to thank his parents as they have raised a hero for Georgia and for the people of Georgia.”
Nineteen people lost their lives and six more remain missing following what specialists called "the most devastating flooding” in the past 50 years in Tbilisi.
The natural disaster hit the Georgian capital overnight on June 13 and caused extensive damage a part of the Vake district. The country's Finance Minister believed the cost of the disaster would exceed 100 million GEL.
The major flooding swept away cars and houses, destroyed roads and Tbilisi Zoo, where more than 300 animals lost their lives. Several animals escaped, including a tiger who later killed a man in central Tbilisi three days after the natural disaster hit.
Updated: "Unusually large animal prints” seen in one of the villages in central Georgia that locals thought belonged to a big cat has turned out to be a dog's footprints.
A disaster is unfolding in Georgia's capital Tbilisi. Heavy rain is causing major damage in Tbilisi's Vake-Saburtalo district. Roads have been swamped, cars have been washed away and houses have been severely flooded. Several animals have also escaped from Tbilisi Zoo.
Updated: 7.43pm: The bodies of two more victims of the Tbilisi flood have been found this evening, bringing the death toll to 19.
Authorities have discovered the bodies of two more victims of the Tbilisi flood, bringing the death toll to 14.
Authorities have discovered the bodies of two more flood victims. This news comes five days after the natural disaster, bringing the total death toll to 21.
People in Georgia and around the globe are generously donating whatever they can afford to assist the hundreds of people affected by the devastating flood in Tbilisi.
Solidarity is the best word to describe the situation in Tbilisi today as hundreds volunteered to help the affected families and clean the city’s streets after Saturday night’s deadly flood.
Today Georgia is officially saying thank you to the country's firefighters and rescue officers for their commitment and service for pubic safety. For the first time in the country’s history, Georgia is today celebrating the day of firefighters and rescue officers.
Georgia is offering better social packages to its rescue officers and firefighters who dedicate their lives to serving the country. Parliament adopted changes to increase the state support for families of emergency respondents who are killed on duty.
Tbilisi City Hall has presented sketches earlier today in Mziuri Park for a sculpture of the hippopotamus Begi, who escaped the zoo during the June 13 deadly flood in Tbilisi in 2015.
‘Wounds still open’
Four years have passed since the Georgian capital of Tbilisi was hit by a deadly flash flood which turned out to be the city’s worst human and infrastructural disaster in decades, claiming 21 lives, with the remains of two still missing. More than 1,000 people from up to 200 families lost their homes or businesses in the natural disaster.