TBILISI, November 24 – A deadly construction accident on one of Georgia’s largest infrastructure projects has left four workers dead and one in critical condition after a mass of earth collapsed at a work site near the village of Tskere.
The incident occurred during the installation of a retaining wall on the Kvesheti-Kobi road, a major mountain highway project overseen by the Ministry of Infrastructure. According to the Roads Department’s statement on Sunday evening, five employees of the contractor company, all citizens of Turkmenistan and China, were buried when soil gave way during the operation.
Emergency crews and Roads Department officials were dispatched to the site shortly after the collapse. Four bodies were recovered, while one survivor was pulled out and rushed to Tbilisi Central Hospital.
Doctors say the surviving worker remains in serious condition. Bejan Khozrevanidze, the on-duty physician treating him, said the patient underwent a full CT scan under polytrauma protocol. No traumatic injuries to the head, chest or abdominal organs were detected, but the doctor described the man’s condition as “of concern” and confirmed he remains under intensive treatment and monitoring.
The Roads Department said an investigation has already begun. It also stated that it is demanding stricter enforcement of safety rules from the contractor company and stressed that all regulations must be fully observed during construction. The department extended condolences to the families of the deceased workers.
The Kvesheti-Kobi road, a strategically important project connecting the central region of Dusheti with the northern highway toward the Russian border, has been under construction for several years and includes tunnels, bridges and large-scale engineering works in mountainous terrain.
