Georgia Declares National Mourning for Batumi Building Collapse Victims

October 11 has been declared a national day of mourning over the victims of five-turned-seven-floor residential building collapse in downtown Batumi, Georgia’s coastal town, on October 8.

At least six people, including two children and their mother, died as a result, as per the latest data. The young mother, pulled alive from the rubble some eight hours after the incident, died in the hospital this morning.

One more person, reportedly a 36-year-old man, who was pulled alive from the ruins after 11 hours, remains in hospital in a severe condition.

Update: the death toll increased to 9, as rescue groups pulled out first, bodies of another woman and her kid, and later on, a body of one more adult from the ruins in the afternoon of October 9. 

Emergency rescue groups have been working for some 24 hours since the building collapse yesterday noon, still looking for three people, as noted by Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri.

The Ministry of Interior detained three people over the incident, including a ground floor flat owner and two construction-renovation workers, for carrying out construction and renovation works in gross violation of safety rules, that led to the collapse.

The detainees are facing up to 10 years of imprisonment under Article 240, Part II and Article 187, Part III of the Criminal Code, involving the breach of safety regulations during construction works.

Announcing the national day of mourning, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili vowed this morning to punish every possible culprit to the fullest extent of the law.

President Salome Zurabishvili and Parliamentary Chairperson Kakha Kuchava also expressed their condolences to the families of the deceased.

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