Tbilisi Mayor: no evidence of third-party involvement in gas pipeline damage

Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze on Wednesday claimed at this stage, there was no indication that third-party interference had caused the recent damage to the city’s high-pressure gas supply network.

The gas pipeline, which the official claimed was damaged at a connection point, has left tens of thousands of residents without gas for several days.

Speaking to reporters, Kaladze said he had been in contact with Tbilisi Energy and that the issue was nearly resolved, with gas supply expected to be fully restored in accordance with safety protocols.

“There was an assumption that the damage could have been caused by third-party interference. However, after assessing the situation on-site, it was determined that the problem occurred directly at the connection point. At this stage, there is no evidence of external involvement,” Kaladze said.

Despite speculation, no formal investigation has been launched into the incident. Tbilisi Energy declined to comment on whether a third party was linked to the damage, while the Ministry of Internal Affairs has not responded to inquiries regarding a possible investigation.
The gas outage, which began on February 9, has affected approximately 150,000 customers in the Vake and Saburtalo districts following an accidental rupture of a 500mm diameter gas pipeline.