Glacier Partially Collapses in Svaneti

The LEPL Emergency Management Agency (EMA) of Georgia posted a statement on Wednesday on their Facebook page that a glacier in Mestia, Svaneti, has partially collapsed, leading to a high risk of flooding. The water has now stopped and there is no longer a risk of flooding, as the high water is gradually receding.

Representatives from the EMA visited the site to monitor conditions and will continue monitoring and providing any necessary services over the next few days.

A large chunk of ice broke off from the Lekhziri Glacier in the Mestia municipality on Wednesday, approximately 400 meters from the glacier’s tongue. "The level of water has decreased and the adjacent area is no longer at risk,” the EMA stated.

The National Environmental Agency says data taken from the hydrological station located near the mouth of the rivers Mulkhura and Mestiachala show that water levels are within the norm. Specialists presume that the collapse was caused by intense melting of the glacier under high summer temperatures.

The Lekhziri Glacier is more than 11 kilometers long and rests on the southern slopes of the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range in northern Georgia.

By Samantha Guthrie

Photo: LEPL Emergency Management Agency