“There has not been a similar cataclysm in not just in this valley, but the whole of Western Georgia, excluding the earthquake of April 29, 1991, which buried Khakhieti village. According to our estimate, more than 5 million cubic meters of solid mass came into motion,” stated the geologist, head of the Department of Geology of the National Environment Agency, Merab Gaprindashvili.
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According to Gaprindashvili, the natural disaster in Shovi resort was caused by the concurrence of geological and hydrometeorological events in the same location.
“In the afternoon of August 3, in Oni municipality, in particular, in the valley of the Buba River in the Shovi resort, there was a synergy of geological and hydrometeorological events at the same time, at the same location. In particular, there is an intense melting of two glaciers in the headwaters of this river - the Tbilisa and Buba glaciers, which was accompanied by abundant atmospheric precipitation. This heavy rainfall unsettled the solid sediment in the valley, the banks were washed away, and the so-called conception and activation of the coastal landslide was triggered. All this turned into a landslide and as a result, we got what you have seen,” said the geologist.
According to Merab Gaprindashvili, the recurrence of a disaster of a similar scale is not expected at this stage:
“Geologists and hydrologists of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture entered the disaster zone in the shortest period of time and got involved in the works. Six groups have arrived, and not only visual inspection but also instrumental monitoring is underway. Helicopters are used for aerial inspection. According to our information, I can tell you with certainty that another disaster of this scale is not expected at this stage. The situation has stabilized and research is underway. I would like to emphasize that the disaster that unfolded here yesterday is fully related to natural factors - complex morphological and geological conditions and processes that befell this complex region. At this stage, there is no danger of recurrence.”
To the journalists’ question, of why no preventive measures were taken after the landslide that occurred in the valley 3 years ago, Gaprindashvili answered that there has never been and will never be a precedent of anyone predicting a disaster of similar scale and complexity.
The landslide occurred on August 3, around 15:15, triggering a mudslide in the valley. The catastrophic event was developing for more than an hour. Hotels and cottages in the resort area are built in the floodplain, which has been fully consumed by the flood. Several small cottages were destroyed, hotels were damaged, cars were swept away by the flood.
The rescue operation in the disaster area started with a 3-hour delay. The bridges on the only road leading to Shovi have been washed away by the mudslide. The rescuers were able to reach the disaster site only with the helicopters of the border police. Regarding the belated arrival of the helicopters, the Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure, Irakli Karseladze, stated that “everything, including the helicopter, has a corresponding mobilization period, and in the shortest time after receiving the report, taking into account this mobilization period, the first helicopter arrived at the scene”.
