Landslide Kills 6 People in Adjara

6 people died in the village of Khala, Kobuleti District in a landslide as yesterday. 5 out of 6 come from the same family of Davitadzes. Two children are among the dead. Only the body of one child named Salome found. However, 10 members of Davitadze family somehow survived the ordeal.

The 6th victim is Davit Gabaidze, the neighbor of Davitadze family. Gabaidze came to Davitadzes to take them to his house. “At about 4 o’clock my father went to the Davitadzes’ house. Their family lives in a landslide zone. When the rain did not stop my father went to bring them to our house. Then we heard a terrible noise and when we looked out the house of Davitadzes had disappeared gone,” stated one member of Gabaidze family.

The locals say that geologists visited the village of Khala two days earlier the yesterday’s landslide. The Davitadzes’ neighbors recall that the geologists advised the Davitadzes to leave the house as soon as possible. After the September 19th landslide, the soil had encroached to the wall of Davitadzes’ house and the whole house was rather severely damaged.

Khala of inhabitants are very scared. Unfortunately, however, they have no place to escape from the danger.  They said that the geologists had earlier informed 47 families that they are at risk by living in a landslide risk zone.

On September 19th, 2008, 5 people died in a landslide. 4 members of Chavleishvili family and Guram Shantadze, the inhabitant of Charnali village were killed by the landslide in the village of Masaura, Khelvachauri District. 

Maka Malakmadze, Batumi