No casualties in helicopter incident in Georgia’s north - Border Police
The Border Police said a pilot encountered difficulty when hit by “strong and descending” winds near the meteorological station on Mount Kazbegi. Photo: Border Police press office
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The Georgian Border Police on Wednesday confirmed an incident involving a helicopter of the body in the north of the country, following a social media video earlier during the day that appeared to show the pilot escape a crash in the aircraft on Mount Kazbegi.
Following the post with the video, in which the author of the clip said the incident had taken place on Monday, the body confirmed the Mi-8 helicopter was used in an operation for ensuring aid to Polish border police professionals.
During the efforts, the pilot encountered a difficulty when hit by “strong and descending” winds near the glacier’s meteorological station, it added, causing the front landing gear to touch the ground and destabilised the fixed-wing aircraft.
It also said the “experienced and professional pilots” had managed to restore balance to the helicopter, before making a second approach, flying the aircraft to capital Tbilisi and safely landing at a Border Police base.
The body said no casualties had been reported in the incident.
Georgian Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri on Tuesday told the Parliament the granting of the NATO Operational Partner status to the country’s Border Police units had been a “major achievement” of the past year.
Border guards in north-eastern Georgia's Omalo village were on Saturday visited by Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and Government members as part of the annual Mountain Week celebrations, with the officials also inspecting a new police station in the Tusheti region.
The United States Defense Threat Reduction Agency’s Proliferation Prevention Program has donated six troop carriers, two 6,000 liter fuel trucks and seven Suzuki off-road vehicles to the Georgian Border Police ‘to increase mobility to remote border sectors’.
The European Union and the International Organisation for Migration have donated 30 all-terrain vehicles to the Georgian Border Police to better combat irregular migration and cross-border crime. This is the part of a larger package of 40 vehicles, 10 of which were donated to Georgia back in November 2020.