6 people dead in a car crash in Tusheti
By Nika Gamtsemlidze
Monday, July 29
In Tusheti, on the Pshavela-Omalo road, 6 people, including two brothers and their father, died in a car crash.
According to the information of the investigation, the driver lost control of the steering wheel and the car crashed from several meters to the ravine. In the rescue operation, the help of Border Police's helicopter was required. Additional rescue teams and medical personnel were deployed from Tbilisi.
Two days ago, on July 27, “Kamaz” type vehicle, with 12 people in it, crashed while traveling to Tusheti. 5 people managed to jump out of the car before the crash, with minor injuries, some of them have already been discharged from the healthcare facilities.
According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), the investigation has been launched under the Article 276 part 5 of the Criminal Code of Georgia – a violation of traffic safety rules or rules for operating mechanical transport by persons driving them that results in death.
City Hall of Akhmeta Municipality has released a statement saying that traditional public holiday, scheduled for August 3 in Omalo village, will not be held because of the tragedy on Pshaveli-Abano-Omalo road.
“On August 3, Akhmeta Municipality City Hall and the Agency of Protected Areas planned to organize a traditional event in the village of Omalo in Tusheti, but the event will not be held due to the grave tragedy that happened yesterday. We offer our condolences towards the families of the victims of the tragedy,” reads the statement published by the Municipality’s City Hall on July 28.
“The Day of Shepherd – Tushetoba” is celebrated in the region annually.
Salome Zourabichvili, the President of Georgia, published a statement about the accident on her Facebook page. "I express my sorrow over the tragedy that occurred in Tusheti. I offer sympathy to the victims’ families and wish recovery to the injured," wrote the President on her Facebook.
Mamuka Bakhtadze, Prime Minister of Georgia expressed sorrow for the tragedy occurred in Tusheti and conveyed condolences to the families of the victims.
"I feel deeply saddened for the tragedy occurring in Tusheti today, which took the lives of our citizens. Compassion and condolences are conveyed to the families of victims at this time of grief. And I wish a speedy recovery to those injured," noted the Head of Government of Georgia in his Letter of Condolences published on July 27.
According to the official information of the MIA, in the last decade, 6,608 were killed and more than 85,000 were injured in the road accidents. Because of such statistics, the Ministry made tougher regulations for road violations this year. According to the MIA, by the end of 2019 up to 5,000 cameras will be installed on Georgian roads, 2100 of them being smart cameras.
