“No threat” of repeat landslide following disaster in western resort - ruling party MP

Maia Bitadze, the head of the Environment Protection and Natural Resources Committee of the Georgian Parliament, on Friday said there was “no threat” of a repeat landslide in the western Oni municipality, after a disaster killed seven on Thursday.

Bitadze said geologists had inspected the disaster zone earlier during the day and ruled out the threat of a repeat occurrence of landslide.

The lawmaker claimed the disaster, which has also left at least 35 missing after it hit the Shovi resort in the municipality, had been caused by a “coincidence of several natural events”, including heavy rainfalls and climate change-related erosion.

She noted floods and landslides had been observed across the country and in the region over the past several weeks.  

Rescue crews have been working using special hardware in the affected area since the landslide hit the resort, with 210 people evacuated.