Fire blazes through shopping centre in Tbilisi, no casualties

Hundreds of shopkeepers have suffered major financial loss after a powerful fire burned through a shopping centre in Tbilisi overnight.

Thirty-one firefighting units were called to the scene to tackle the fire that broke out in Children’s World and Gold Market, a shopping and jewellery trade centre in Tbilisi’s Didube district early on Monday morning.

A representative from Georgia’s Emergency Management Agency, Davit Gelahsvili, said the fire was reported to the country’s emergency number 112 at 4.10 a.m.

"The first firefighting unit arrived in the scene in three minutes. It was confirmed that an open shopping area on the premises of Children’s World – an area of about 3,000 m2 – was on fire”, Gelashvili said.

He added that despite the 31 fire-fighting units working at the site, the blaze spread to the entire building of Children’s World in just five minutes.

Several minutes later, "a total of 18,000 m2 of area was on fire”, he said.

Children's World shopping centre burnt down in today's powerful fire. Photo: IPN

Gelahsvili added one fire-fighter suffered minor injuries during the efforts to extinguish the fire. The firefighter received first aid from a paramedic, after which there was no need for him to be taken to the hospital, Gelashvili said.

The fire was extinguished towards 11 a.m.

The cause

It is still unclear as to what caused the fire at the shopping centre. An investigation has been launched into the matter. The Interior Ministry said the investigation will examine the possibility of criminal involvement in the fire.

Tbilisi Mayor: "Shopping centre administration responsible for results”

Tbilisi Mayor Davit Narmania arrived on site early this morning. He said the administration of the shopping centre must take responsibility for the incident.

"A very bad thing has taken place. Such a large-scale incident hasn’t taken place in Tbilisi in a long time. So many people now have a real problem on their hands - and the people who trade and do business here didn’t exactly have a carefree life before this…”, Narmania said.

"I think that first of all, the shopping centre administration is responsible for what has happened. These people [shopkeepers] had contracts with the administration and the administration has its own rights, obligations and responsibilities and they must respond to these people”.

Children’s World is a joint stock company with up to 6,000 shareholders.

Vice PM says that shopping centers must be insured

Georgia’s Vice Prime Minister and Energy Minister Kakha Kaladze said this morning that shopping centres and markets should be insured in the future.

"What’s happened is very devastating. I understand how difficult this is for these people [for shopkeepers]. First of all, an investigation must establish the cause. And looking ahead, I think it must be obligatory for shopping centres and markets to be insured in the future”, Kaladze said.

The exact monetary loss caused by the fire has not been estimated.