On 3 August 2023 at approximately 16:00 local time, a

landslide Landslides, also known as landslips, rockslips or rockslides, are several forms of mass wasting that may include a wide range of ground movements, such as rockfalls, mudflows, shallow or deep-seated slope failures and debris flows. Landslides ...

occurred in the mountain resort of

Shovi Shovi ( ka, შოვი) is a village in the Oni Municipality of Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti in Georgia. It is a mountain climatic and health resort known for its carbonated water, situated on the confluence of the Buba and Chanchakhi Riv ...

in Georgia's

Oni Municipality Oni ( ka, ონის მუნიციპალიტეტი) is a district of Georgia, in the region of Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti. Its main town is Oni. Geography Oni Municipality borders Lentekhi Municipality to the northwest, Am ...

, at the southern foothills of the

Greater Caucasus The Greater Caucasus, ''Didi K’avk’asioni''; is the major mountain range of the Caucasus Mountains. It stretches for about from west-northwest to east-southeast, from the Taman Peninsula of the Black Sea to the Absheron Peninsula of t ...

mountains. It resulted in at least 32 deaths and destroyed much of the resort's infrastructure.

Reasons

The disaster occurred during a summer season when the popular resort of Shovi in Georgia's northwestern highland province of

Racha Racha (also Račha, , ''Račʼa'') is a highland area in western Georgia, located in the upper Rioni river valley and hemmed in by the Greater Caucasus mountains. Under Georgia's current subdivision, Racha is included in the Racha-Lechkhumi and ...

is frequented by tourists. According to a preliminary report by Georgia's National Environmental Agency released six days after the incident, satellite data showed a 500,000 cubic meter rock mass collapse near the Buba glacier in the Bubistsqali river gorge. This resulted in a 62-hectare glacial fragmentation and the release of subglacial waters. Data from the area's meteorological station and radar did not record intense rainfall during that time. On 1 August 2024, the Institute of Earth Sciences and the National Seismic Monitoring Center of

Ilia State University Ilia State University ISU ( ka, ილიას სახელმწიფო უნივერსიტეტი) is a public university in Tbilisi, Georgia that was founded in 2006 as a result of a merger of six different academic institution ...

released their new findings, according to which the landslide occurred on the steep slope southeast of the Tbilisa glacier (3850 meters above sea level), bringing about the collision of about one million m³ of material with the glacier. The report concluded that had an early warning system been in place, an alarm could have been sounded approximately 2 hours before the disaster, providing more time to evacuate the area.

Landslide

The landslide hit Shovi on 3 August around 16:00 local time, burying parts of the resort under several meters of mud and carrying away roads, bridges, and vehicles. Shortly after the first reports of the disaster emerged, emergency services and police units, with Border Guard helicopters, were dispatched to the area, followed by the

Georgian Defense Forces The Defence Forces of Georgia ( ka, საქართველოს თავდაცვის ძალები, tr), or Georgian Defence Forces (GDF), are the combined military forces of Georgia, tasked with the defence of the nation's indep ...

personnel on 4 August. More than 200 people were evacuated from the disaster zone in the aftermath. The rescue and clearing efforts continued for several weeks, with more than 800 emergency workers and Defense Forces personnel involved. 32 bodies were recovered and one person was reported missing. During the rescue works, a

National Guard National guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards. ...

employee and a police major died, both due to health-related issues.

Reactions

Immediately after the incident, the government of Georgia came under criticism from the opposition, civil society activists, and some survivors for alleged delayed rescue efforts, lack of effective measures, and failure to acquire a

rescue helicopter Air medical services are the use of aircraft, including both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters to provide various kinds of urgent medical care, especially prehospital, emergency and critical care to patients during aeromedical evacuation a ...

with

night vision equipment A night-vision device (NVD), also known as a night optical/observation device (NOD) or night-vision goggle (NVG), is an optoelectronic device that allows visualization of images in low levels of light, improving the user's night vision. The ...

and to install

early warning systems An early warning system is a warning system that can be implemented as a chain of information communication systems and comprises sensors, event detection and decision subsystems for early identification of hazards. They work together to forec ...

in the high-risk area such as Shovi. The government officials rejected the claims, sometimes controversially questioning stories of the survivors. The Ministry of Internal Affairs launched an official investigation into the circumstances around the landslide.

References

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Natural disasters in Georgia (country) 2023 meteorology 2023 in Georgia (country) August 2023 in Asia August 2023 in Europe