One injured, three poisoned after likely gas explosion in Tbilisi residential building

An explosion in a residential building in the Vazisubani district of Tbilisi earlier today has heavily injured a 43-year-old man and poisoned three others. 

The explosion took place on the first floor of the fifteen-storey residential building, allegedly because of a gas leak.

Doctors say that the condition of the injured man is critical and that he has sustained burns on 60% of his body.

Police are looking into the incident. 

• More stringent gas regulations to better ensure consumer safety in Georgia

The staff of Tbilisi Energy detected 738 incorrectly installed gas devices in the capital city in the last month alone, which frequently cause fatal accidents in the country, especially during the winter season. 

Tbilisi Energy says that the devices of 9,802 gas subscribers were checked in the reporting period.

Open-combustion water heaters and gas heaters were the problem in the majority of cases. 

The devices were either removed by Tbilisi Energy staff or gas provision was suspended in apartments where incorrectly installed devices were found.