Relatives of Beka Shatakishvili, deceased during the fire in Batumi hotel, request timely and fair investigation

Lado Bitchashvili, Shida Kartli

11 persons died as a result of the fire in Batumi based hotel Leo Grand. Among the deceased persons were 1 citizen of Iran and 10 Georgian citizens; one of them was 22-years-old Beka Shatakishvili from Gori, whose corps was brought to Gori on November 26. 

Beka Shatakishvili was student of the Batumi Theological Seminary and served in the Holy Godmother’s Church. According to the current information, Beka Shatakishvili died of the smoke during the fire. Before death he called his mother in Gori.

Vera Vartumashvili, relative of the family. “Beka last called his mother and said, “mother, I think I am dying, I cannot breath,” and he could not say anything more. The mother immediately went to Batumi and was looking for him in the hospitals and in his home; then she went to the morgue but could not find him. Later, clergymen contacted her and said that Beka had deceased. She was looking for her son during three hours. Nobody knows where Beka died; some people say he was found in the swimming pool, others say he was in the lift.”

The relatives request impartial and timely investigation into the accident. They doubt the security norms were not properly preserved in the hotel, otherwise the people could have escaped the fire.

“The investigation is underway. The mother could not get Beka’s personal items and phone; they said they will return everything after the investigation is over. We know nothing more. The murder of 11 persons must be investigated because it is almost terrorist act. There should have been some rescue and exit in the hotel. We will not leave this fact without attention. We demand impartial and timely investigation. The mother has lost her only child,” the relative of Beka Shatakishvili’s family said.

According to the MIA, the investigation was launched under the Article 243 Part 3 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which applies to the breach of fire safety regulations - by a person responsible for their observance that results in less serious or serious bodily injury.

Because of the tragedy in Batumi, November 27 was announced as mourning day in Georgia. 

Cracked mirror became the symbol of the tragedy in Batumi hotel. The people trapped in the hotel tried to survive by breaking the windows but they just cracked them.