Gov’t to assist individuals affected by natural disaster in western Georgia

Officials in the western municipality of Baghdati in the Imereti region on Wednesday met locals and promised support following damage caused to the locality on Tuesday by strong winds, heavy rainfall and landslides.

Leri Barnabishvili, the Head of the Regional Liaison Department of the Government Administration, Zviad Shalamberidze, the State Representative in the Imereti region, and Kakha Enukidze, the Mayor of Baghdati municipality, visited the families affected by the natural disaster in one of the villages, the City Hall of the Baghdati Municipality said.

In his comments, Barnabishvili said “relevant agencies” were working in affected areas in emergency mode with the use of heavy equipment, rescuers, the Infrastructure Ministry and the Roads Department.

He sent his condolences after two people died in the western Adjara region after a landslide and an avalanche hit the locality, and noted several villages in mountainous parts of the region, and in the region of Racha, were isolated following the natural events, with works ongoing to clear roads and restore power.

He said more than 600 houses, schools and kindergartens had been damaged in the Imereti region, with further damage in Samegrelo, Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti regions, the central-eastern regions of Shida Kartli and Mtskheta-Mtianeti.

The official added municipalities were still assessing the damage as it was “impossible to reach all settlements and locations”, and noted the Government was “ready and mobilised” to assist locals affected by the natural disaster.