Minister of Internal Affairs Vakhtang Gomelauri attended emergency meeting of the government, headed by the Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili. Prime Minister discussed situation after the natural disaster and received information on accomplished works from members of the government. Irakli Gharibashvili thanked all agencies for coordinated and efficient activities: “operation of emergency service and rescuers is excellent, their actions are heroic and I want to express my gratitude towards them and to patrol police, police, special forces, firefighters, special tasks department and Tbilisi city hall. I want to thank everyone on behalf of the government as their actions are truly heroic”.
Minister of Internal Affairs Vakhtang Gomelauri provided Prime Minister and members of the government with information on rescue operations conducted by the MIA units:”From the very first minutes Ministry of Internal Affairs was involved in the operation including rescuers and patrol police. Dozens of people were rescued and everyone was involved, I can’t make emphasis on MIA units separately. Helicopter transported hundreds of people from Akhaldaba who were stuck there because of the blockage, there was no road, and it is closed at the moment. I want to express my condolences to the families; according to the existing data 12 people have been killed and 24 missing according to the reports and phone calls from the family members, we are searching for them. As a result of search and examination of the stuck vehicles no casualties were found. Vehicles have been stuck in the tunnel which is full of mud. There is a possibility that a number of cars were flushed to the Mtkvari river, considering that Mtkvari dam was disrupted by the flood”.
Members of the government reviewed activities undertaken by their agencies. All agencies operate in round-the-clock regime in order to eradicate the results of natural disaster in a short period of time and assist the affected citizens. According to the Prime Minister June 15 will be announced as mourning day in Tbilisi to commemorate citizens killed as a result of the disaster.
