TBILISI, March 12 – Emergency crews began evacuating residents in western Georgia on Thursday after a landslide hit a village in the Tkibuli municipality, while authorities also shut down a nearby section of road because of damage caused by the same slide.
Georgia’s Emergency Management Service said the landslide struck the village of Kursebi, in the Tkibuli area. According to the agency, firefighters and rescue teams were carrying out active operations on the ground and moving local residents to safer locations.
The Interior Ministry said different units were mobilized at the disaster site, along with specialized equipment.
As of Thursday morning, no injuries had been reported.
Authorities urged people in Kursebi to avoid moving around the area and to follow instructions from Interior Ministry representatives at the scene.
The National Environment Agency said three teams of geologists were on site to assess the situation.
Georgia’s Roads Department said the slide damaged the carriageway at the 6th kilometer of the Kutaisi-Tkibuli-Ambrolauri road, a route of domestic importance. Because of that damage, all vehicle traffic was temporarily halted on that stretch.
During the closure, traffic was rerouted through the village of Magharo using a local road, according to the department.
