Seven Die as a Result of Carbon Monoxide Leak in Tbilisi

A carbon monoxide leak has claimed seven lives at 67, Ketevan Tsamebuli Avenue, in Tbilisi, on Thursday.

Their bodies were found on the 7th floor of the building where they were renting an apartment. The neighbors say the victims were working on the construction site of a branch of Liberty Bank.

Davit Sergeenko, the Minister of IDPs, Labor, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia, has confirmed that carbon monoxide intoxication caused the tragedy.  

Law enforcers were working on site and rescue and emergency services were mobilized.

The Mayor of Tbilisi Kakha Kaladze has offered his condolences to the families of deceased, and stated that regulations have to be tightened: “Of course, we need tighter regulations. I find it difficult to answer this question as I am not an employee of the ‘KazTransGas Tbilisi’ company,” Kaladze said.

KazTransGaz also released a statement regarding the incident, claiming that the water heater had been illegally and inappropriately installed, which resulted in the accumulation of CO in the apartment.

“Representatives of ‘KazTransGas Tbilisi’ business center visited the mentioned apartment. They removed the heater and refused to provide natural gas from a gas pipe due to a violation of terms of use. Presumably, the owner of the apartment voluntarily reconnected the heater [to the gas pipe],” reads the statement.

By Ketevan Kvaratskheliya

Image source: agenda.ge