Rain destroys homes and cattle

On April 27 non-stop rain caused floods in the Kakheti region of Georgia. The rain melted snow in the mountains and swelled the river, which broke the leg of a bridge on the Telavi-Kvareli highway. The flood also inflicted damage on a farm near the bridge and killed cattle.

The regional Governor said there was no reason for panic. "Special services will arrive from Tbilisi soon and review the situation and then they will work on rebuilding the bridge,” Giorgi Ghviniashvili stated. However, “I am panicking because I am afraid that the swollen river will enter our houses and then we will have no shelter,” Zeinakh Tsatsashvili, a resident of Kvareli, said.

In Sagarejo district in the village of Manavi a house were four people lived in was destroyed. Local residents say that two days of non-stop rain destroyed the house. "It fell last night because the river swelled. I tried to restore the house but in vain. There are four members in my family and now we are without a home,” Tariel Kuzanashvili said. “I have no shelter know and I do not know what to do because I have a sick husband. Now the neighbours help us but I do not know what will happen in the future. I ask you and the Government to help us,” Ia Kuzanashvili said. However Ilia Chiaureli, Chairman of the local authority, said: “We have offered them an alternative. The Interior Ministry has bought a house in the neighbouring village, Chaureli, and we have offered them the chance to move there. If they agree they can go, or we can rent them a house in Manavi.”

Heavy rain also damaged several houses in Tbilisi on Monday night. The wall of number 3 Telegraph Street collapsed but luckily there were no casualties. The house, in which 30 families live, was damaged and there is a danger that it will collapse completely. The district authorities viewed the damaged building at which rescuers were working the whole night and evacuated the inhabitants, whom they will provide with rented apartments.

Rescuers were also working at 6 Tsurtsumia Street, where the rain had damaged a wall separating a schoolyard and a house. The wall eventually collapsed but the district Governor promised to rebuild it.

According to the weather forecast next two days will also be rainy.