Seven persons were found dead on January 31 in an apartment block in Tbilisi in what the authorities claim was the result of carbon monoxide poisoning.
According to KazTransGas-Tbilisi, a gas distribution company in the capital, carbon monoxide leak was caused by an improperly installed water heater.
Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze, who traveled to the scene, said gas safety regulations will have to be restricted.
“We all see that there is a necessity for it; some accidents happen because of the negligence of distribution companies, and others occur because of negligence of individual residents… this is a serious problem and we all need to recognize it,” he stressed.
Gas-related accidents have been at the center of public attention these past months, not least because they have led to several tragic deaths; the tragedies have put in sharp focus the shortfalls in policy and in management of Tbillisi’s gas infrastructure.
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