9 People Die After Residential Building Collapses in Batumi
By Nika Gamtsemlidze
Monday, October 11
A multi-story building collapsed on 26 May Street in Batumi. Search and rescue operations lasted for more than 24 hours without interruption. Rescuers found only 2 people alive, one of them died at the hospital later. Rescuers found the bodies of 8 more dead in the rubble.
Yesterday, it was reported that the situation of the survivor of the situation had gotten better. A 37-year-old man who spent 11 hours in the rubble was admitted to the clinic with general bruising, closed-chest trauma, and a fracture of the lower limb.
“The patient's condition is severe but stable. The good news is that the patient has been removed from the artificial ventilation of the lungs, breathes independently, and comes into contact, although he will remain in the intensive care unit today, as not all of the disorders he had on entry have been eliminated,” said the director of the MedCenter Batumi.
The Prosecutor's Office of Georgia has charged three people with violating safety rules during construction work, which resulted in the loss of life and severe consequences.
According to a statement issued by the Prosecutor's Office, an investigation conducted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia revealed that in early October 2021, one person agreed to pay two individuals for the construction and reconstruction of apartments on the first floor of a building located at 26 May 26 Street in Batumi. The reconstruction included the demolition of both non-load-bearing and load-bearing structures (walls) on the first floor of the building.
The Ministry of Education expressed its condolences over the tragedy in Batumi and extended its condolences to the families of the dead. According to the Ministry, it is twice more tragic for them that children, including schoolchildren, were killed in the incident.
“This is a grave tragedy, pain and loss for the whole country,” reads the statement of the Ministry of Education.
The Ambassador of the European Union to Georgia, Carl Hartzell also expressed his condolences to the friends and family of the victims of the tragedy that happened in Batumi.
“Let me join the citizens of Georgia in their moment of grief, and extend my deep condolences to the families and friends of those who tragically lost their lives in Batumi last Friday,” wrote the EU Ambassador on Twitter.
On October 8, a residential building collapsed on 26 May Street in Batumi. According to the latest information, 9 people were killed, one survived. Among the dead are 3 minors, one is 7 years old, the second one is 1 year and 3 months old and the third is 12 years old. The rescue operation in Batumi lasted for almost 30 hours.
