Landslide survivor “shocked”, “destroyed” by claims of ruling party head

David Jeladze, a survivor in the August 3 deadly landslide in Georgia’s western Shovi resort, on Monday said he was “shocked” and “destroyed” by the claims of Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, that his story of being struck in the landslide for three hours with his six-year-old relative was a “lie”. 

In his press comments on Monday, Kobakhidze claimed the disaster was “instantaneous” and “unfortunately” the individuals affected by it had “no chances to survive”. “It is an incredible lie to say that someone was fighting the disaster for three hours”. 

Jeladze said Kobakhidze’s comment was “insulting”, and could have served the goal not to unveil the disaster details, amid the allegations to the Government over the delayed response to the landslide consequences and the absence of early warning systems. 

Jeladze and other survivors have told the media that if they had been warned of the disaster , they would have been able to reach a safe location in about 5-10 minutes. 

The disaster has claimed 24 lives, with nine still missing. 

The Government rejects the allegations over delayed and “ineffective” response to the disaster, accusing the domestic opposition and several media outlets of “misleading” the public