Energy ombudsman’s investigation points at gas provider for Digomi explosion
A residential building has exploded due to an alleged gas leak in Didi Digomi district of Tbili on January 16. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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Employees of the KazTransGas company improperly inspected a residential building in Tbilisi’s Didi Digomi district that caused a deadly blast on January 16, killing four and leaving eight others injured, claims Georgian Energy Ombudsman Salome Vardiashvili whose office has completed an investigation into the case.
Unfortunately the suspicion was confirmed that the company’s employees improperly inspected the residential building. In the case of the first call, they stayed for 20 minutes at the building and found no source of a possible danger. During the second call they stayed just for 49 seconds. [This fact] generally excludes any kind of inquiry or inspection at the place, which gives me confirmation that the company’s [employees] have not made any effort to prevent [the accident]”, Vardiashvili stated today.
Employees of KazTransGas Tbilisi were called by residents of the building to inspect the area they smelled natural gas. The Ministry of Internal Affairs said that the individuals did not check the gas pipes properly and told the residents that the strong smell was from wall paints and not gas.
A residential building in Didi Digomi, Tbilisi, where natural gas blast claimed 4 lives on January 16. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
Vardiashvili noted that she could not find information in the inspection protocol about what kind of inspection was held at the residential building.
Two days after the explosion the Georgian police detained two employees of the KazTransGas company. The Ministry of Internal Affairs said that an investigation was in progress and that all those at fault for the fatality will be held accountable.
After the January 16 explosion Georgian government officials started to announce that regulations would become tougher in terms of the installation of gas distribution devices.
January 17 was a national day of mourning in Georgia in recognition of the victims of the tragic event.
Regulations on the provision of gas to Georgian consumers must be made stricter, says the Energy Ombudsman of Georgia Salome Vardiashvili.
Regulations on the provision of gas to Georgian consumers will be more stringent, announces Deputy Economy Minister Natia Turnava.
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.
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.
Three people have been injured in an explosion on Guramishvili Avenue in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi this morning. One woman and two men have been immediately delivered to Hospital No. 8.
One individual has received injuries due to an explosion on Tevdore Mgvdeli Street in Didube district of Tbilisi earlier today.
A natural gas leak caused an explosion at the fish market in Batumi early today. A car and a wall of the cafe near the market have been damaged.
The staff of Tbilisi Energy detected 738 wrongly installed gas devices in the capital city in the last month alone, which frequently cause fatal accidents in the country, especially during the cold season.