Explosion in Kutaisi leaves 7 injured, including one minor
Five of the injured individuals are being treated in Kutaisi, while two have been transported to Tbilisi. Photo: IPN.
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An explosion in a residential building in Georgia’s western city of Kutaisi has left seven injured – one is a minor who was transported to Tbilisi.
The explosion caused a fire and rescuers had to evacuate the whole building located on Avtomsheni Avenue in Kutaisi.
Five individuals have been placed in Kutaisi hospitals.
Three are in critical condition, with burns on 30-75 per cent of their bodies, doctors say.
Two have been transported to Tbilisi as local hospitals were unable to provide the necessary treatment.
30 rescuers and 10 fire engines were brought out to extinguish the fire.
The reason for the explosion has yet to be clarified.
Eight people including a seven-month-old child were injured in an explosion in Tbilisi’s Digomi district this morning. The explosion happened on the fourth floor of a five-storey residential building, allegedly because of a gas leak.
Two employees of the KazTransGas company have been detained for negligence and their responsibility for the deadly blast in Tbilisi on 16 January, killing four and leaving eight others injured. The Georgian Interior Ministry says that V.M., 61, and T.T., 27, employees KazTransGas Tbilisi, were called by residents of the building where the explosion took place on 16 January.
Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze has stated that it is not the responsibility of Tbilisi City Hall to check the safety of natural gas networks, responding to speculations that the 16 January deadly explosion in the Didi Digomi district of Tbilisi was the fault of the local authorities.
Georgia has received condolences from foreign officials and states in the wake of a deadly blast in Tbilisi yesterday which claimed four lives and left eight others injured.
Georgian energy ombudsman Salome Vardiashvili has urged the public to ensure the safety of their heating devices in anticipation of the incoming winter season across the country.