Georgia landslide death toll rises to 31

19:43, 24.08.2023 1 min read

Georgian rescuers have retrieved the bodies of two more people killed by the landslide which occurred near the Shovi resort, Onsky municipality, on August 3.

This brings the total number of deaths from the landslide to 31, the Interior Ministry's emergencies chief, Temur Mgebrishvili, told journalists on Thursday.

"A body, presumably male, was found today within 40 kilometers of the disaster's epicenter, not far from the village of Sori," Mgebrishvili said, noting that the body of a teenager was also found on Thursday.

Two people are still unaccounted for, he said.

The landslide hit the resort town of Shovi on August 3, causing deaths and destroying cottages, houses, roads and bridges. According to Georgian geologists, around five million cubic meters of earth slid down from mountains into the gorge within minutes.

The government declared August 7 a national day of mourning for the victims.

It was reported that a Russian woman was among those killed in the disaster.