Interior Ministry: About 70 individuals “transferred to safety” from Georgia’s western landslide-affected resort

The Georgian Interior Ministry on Thursday said about 70 individuals had been transferred to a safe venue from the disaster area as a result of the ongoing rescue operations in the country’s western Oni municipality, after a landslide hit the area earlier during the day.

The Ministry told Agenda.ge that rescuers had found two people dead during the rescue operation.

The body noted the two border police helicopters, involved in the operation, had already performed three flights from the affected area, adding the rescue operation will continue throughout the night.

Photo via Interior Ministry

About 400 firefighters and rescuers of the Emergency Management Service, police units and the representatives of all relevant agencies are being involved in the rescue efforts, the Ministry said.

Deputy Interior ministers Ioseb Chelidze and Giorgi Butkhuzi, as well as Teimuraz Mgebrishvili, the Head of the Emergency Management Service, are present at the site of the disaster zone and lead the rescue operation.

Photo via Interior Ministry

Maya Pirtskhalaishvili, one of the guests of the Sunset Shovi hotel affected by the landslide, told Agenda.ge that the rescuers had "safely evacuated" all guests of the hotel and they were accommodated in family hotels in Oni.