Market fire destroys about 70 shops in western Georgia
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About 70 shops have been burnt after a powerful fire occurred inside a shopping centre in the western Georgian town of Poti early this morning.
Firefighting units arrived from neighbouring municipalities as well to tackle the fire that broke out at the market at about 7 a.m.
It is estimated that a total of 2,000 m2 caught on fire.
Local authorities meet with the shopkeepers. Photo: á¡ááááá ááá-áááá á¡ááááááá¡ áá®áá á / Facebook
Three people have been taken to hospital following the incident. Two of them suffered a hypertensive crisis and one woman tried to kill herself after she found out her shop had been fully destroyed in the fire. Doctors said all three are stable now.
Local authorities arrived to see the situation on the ground. Governor of the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region Levan Shonia said a commission will be set up to calculate the damage. It is understood that the shops have not been insured.
The cause of the fire is unknown. An investigation was launched to establish the cause.
It is the third massive shopping centre fire in Georgia this year. The first one occurred in the gold market in Tbilisi in January while the second one took place inside the autopart market earlier this month also in Tbilisi.