Energy Ombudsman demands explanation from KazTransGas Tbilisi over explosion
The preliminary conclusion says that a natural gas leak occurred in one of the flats of a residential building. Photo: IPN.
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The Energy Ombudsman of Georgia Salome Vardiashvili has begun studying the case of yesterday’s powerful explosion in a residential building in Tbilisi’s Didi Digomi district.
The preliminary conclusion says that a natural gas leak occurred in one of the flats of a residential building, where family members and children were during the explosion.
The procedure of connecting the residential building to the natural gas network will be thoroughly studied”, announced the Energy Ombudsman. The Energy Ombudsman has demanded an explanation from KazTransGas Tbilisi.
The Energy Ombudsman's interest is also in why the technician could not find a point of leakage. It is likely that negligence or unprofessionalism of the employee is evident”, reads the statement.
The Energy Ombudsman talked about the regulation of the natural gas internal network and said that “the regulations do not fully respond to security challenges”.
The Public Defender of Georgia also released a statement today, offered condolences to the family members and relatives of the victims.
The Public Defender hopes that the investigative agencies will investigate the causes of the explosion and devastating effects as soon as possible and identify the persons responsible for the accident.
”The Public Defender once again calls on the government to define a specific list of construction and facing materials that are prohibited to use; it is also necessary to improve the legislative guarantee for fire safety of facilities,” reads the statement released by the Public Defender.
Flags on all government buildings across Georgia and diplomatic missions abroad are flying at half staff today as 17 January has been declared a day of mourning in recognition of those who died in a powerful explosion in a residential building last night in Tbilisi’s Didi Digomi district.
Hundreds of people have posted on Facebook after the deadly explosion in the Didi Digomi district of Tbilisi yesterday that they are ready to accommodate families, transport them, entertain frightened children and provide any necessary help.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs has started an investigation into a gas explosion case which killed four people including a four-year-old child on 16 January in Tbilisi.
Four people have been killed and at least four injured in a powerful explosion in the Didi Digomi district of Tbilisi about two hours ago.
Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze has stated that it is not the responsibility of Tbilisi City Hall to check the safety of natural gas networks, responding to speculations that the 16 January deadly explosion in the Didi Digomi district of Tbilisi was the fault of the local authorities.
Two employees of the KazTransGas company have been detained for negligence and their responsibility for the deadly blast in Tbilisi on 16 January, killing four and leaving eight others injured. The Georgian Interior Ministry says that V.M., 61, and T.T., 27, employees KazTransGas Tbilisi, were called by residents of the building where the explosion took place on 16 January.
A Tbilisi court has given two individuals charged with negligence for their responsibility in failing to detect a gas leak in a residential home in Tbilisi to pre-trial detention.
Regulations on the provision of gas to Georgian consumers must be made stricter, says the Energy Ombudsman of Georgia Salome Vardiashvili.
Eight people including a seven-month-old child were injured in an explosion in Tbilisi’s Digomi district this morning. The explosion happened on the fourth floor of a five-storey residential building, allegedly because of a gas leak.