Forest Blaze on Mtatsminda Mount, Tbilisi

Updated 15:00 09.08.17 - The Prime Minister of Georgia, Giorgi Kvirikashvili has released a statement and thanked the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) and the Emergency Situations Management Agency for their hard and operational work while extinguishing fire at Mtatsminda district.

"I would like to express my gratitude to the MIA Emergency Management Agency, firefighters and rescuers for very operative work. They managed to localize and then extinguish the fire in the Mtatsminda district, which has very difficult landscape, in the shortest period of time," the statement reads. 

The PM added that relevant services remained mobilized during the whole night and were taking preventive measures.

"An investigation has begun into the fact. I would like to once again thank all those who risked their own lives to extinguish the fire and protect the population," reads the statement.

The investigation is underway under second part of article 188 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which pertains to the negligence that damaged or destroyed someone's property.

A fire broke out near the territory of the Bombora Mtatsminda theme park in Georgia's capital city of Tbilisi at 10pm this evening and spread down towards the upper Vera cemetery, damaging an area (approximately 2 hectares) of pine forest. The nearby residential area was evacuated while 70 firefighters fought to control the blaze. Emergency services are on hand but no casualties have been reported.

"Due to the difficult relief location, fire-rescue equipment was difficult to place, but as a result of effective firefighter operations, there is no danger of the fire spreading further at this stage," the Ministry of Internal Affairs reported half an hour before we went to press.

"The fire is under control. The cause of the fire is still unkown and will be investigated," said Tbilisi Mayor David Narmania at the scene, going on to commend and thank the firefighters and to say that "helicopters were not considered necessary in putting out the blaze".

Mayor Narmania has announced that the firefighters will remain on the scene to ensure the fire does not reignite.

Katie Ruth Davies

Photo source: imedinews