Rescuers recover fifth body after landslide hits village in Georgia

A deadly landslide hit the village of Nergeti in Georgia’s Imereti region overnight, burying four houses. 

According to the Georgian public broadcaster, rescuers have now recovered five bodies.

The Emergency Situations Management Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs is still conducting a search and rescue effort, specifically looking for four missing people.

The Head of the Emergency Situations Management Service, Temur Mghebrishvili, arrived at the disaster site to coordinate the work with over 200 firefighter-rescuers, ministry representatives, and local authorities.

Posting on Facebook, Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili expressed deep sorrow over the disaster, and offered condolences to the families of the victims.

“I express my deep sorrow over those people who died as a result of the natural disaster in western Georgia,” she wrote.

“I offer my condolences and support to the families and relatives of the victims in these difficult moments. I hope that the trapped people, whom our rescuers are trying to recover, will return to their families soon and unharmed.”