105 families to be offered alternative accommodation after landslides in country’s west - PM

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Monday said 105 families would be offered alternative accommodation after landslides and flood hit the Guria region in the country’s west last week, pledging “maximum” support for disaster-affected communities. 

Speaking at the weekly Government meeting, the PM said geologists had inspected properties of 237 individuals in the affected area, in addition to 31 infrastructure facilities and nine landslide dams, and recommended authorities to offer accommodation to dozens of families displaced by the natural disaster in other locations. 

• 200 evacuated from landslide-hit areas in western Georgia

He stressed employees of both central and local authorities, and about 200 rescuers, were engaged in the disaster relief work, and noted the landslides and floods had “severely damaged” infrastructure in the region, including 100 bridges.  

The PM noted the disaster had hit 22 localities in Ozurgeti municipality and 15 municipal units in Lanchkhuti area of the region, leaving 3,627 consumers without gas and 15,000 without electricity in the worst-affected villages and settlements.

He said 791 consumers remained without gas provision and 250 without electricity, and noted electricity delivery would be restored to 200 of the 250 consumers by the end of the day. 

He also highlighted roads had been “completely opened” to vehicle traffic and pedestrians in the region following “intensive clearing works” involving heavy hardware and relevant agencies, before expressing his “deep sorrow” over the death of three individuals, including two minors, in the landslides. 

He claimed the Government would take “all actions” to ensure support for the families of the victims and those affected by the disaster, saying 110 citizens had been accommodated in hotels by local authorities and humanitarian goods collected by municipal Governments and the representatives of the ruling Georgian Dream party had been delivered to 235 families.

Local authorities said early on Monday 200 individuals had been evacuated from the disaster zone.