Two Children Die in Unsecured Construction Area in Batumi
By Liza Mchedlidze
Monday, February 17, 2025
Two children, aged five and seven, died on February 15 after falling into an unfenced, water-filled pit in Batumi's "Dream City" district, where construction work is underway. The children were missing for several hours before being found and taken to a clinic, but doctors were unable to save them.
"Dream City" is home to socially vulnerable families, with around 2,000 households demanding better living conditions for years. The Georgian Dream government began construction in the area in 2020.
Just a week before the tragedy, on February 8, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and Adjara's regional leader, Tornike Rizhvadze, held a ceremony to mark the start of the second phase of construction.
Batumi City Council Chairman Irakli Tavdgiridze visited the site and denied that construction safety standards had been violated. He also claimed the incident did not occur on a construction site.
Tensions escalated when journalists from Adjara Times and Batumelebi tried to report from the scene. Several individuals confronted them aggressively, with one striking journalist Jaba Ananidze's hand. The group also attempted to downplay the incident, insisting, "No one fell into a construction trench."
Adjara's Minister of Finance and Economy, Jaba Putkaradze, echoed Tavdgiridze's statements, claiming, "This is not a construction site - this is a preparatory area for construction work," and called for an end to "speculation."
The Georgian Young Lawyers' Association (GYLA) argues that the deaths cannot be dismissed as an accident, citing state inaction and a failure to uphold the right to life.
"According to numerous locals, the area was neither fenced off nor had warning signs to alert adults and children of the danger. This failure confirms the state's violation of its positive obligations regarding the right to life," GYLA stated.
The organization also condemned the obstruction of journalists at the scene, emphasizing that the state has a duty to ensure public safety and protect lives, including addressing hazards in public spaces and securing construction sites.
