Tbilisi Mayor “shocked” by death of minor in renovated park, PM vows “strictest punishment” of offenders

Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze said Thursday that he was “shocked” by the death of a 13-year-old minor in a renovated Vake Park in Tbilisi, after being electrocuted in a fountain with two other minors, while Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili vowed “strictest punishment” for offenders. 

Investigation has been launched for the violation of safety norms, causing the death. 

“Greenservice was the central contractor for the works, it will be difficult for me to say about the subcontractors. Everything was checked. The project was completed a long time ago. Everything will be given proper responses”, Kaladze said. 

Responding to the incident, Garibashvili said that “It is difficult to find words to convey the heartache I feel due to the tragedy in Vake Park. In these most difficult moments, I wholeheartedly share the grief of the family members, relatives and friends of the deceased teenager and express my support to them”. 

He stated that the investigation had already started, the causes of the tragedy would be established and offenders would be “strictly punished”. 

According to eyewitnesses, the children were playing with a ball that fell into the pool. At first, one child tried to remove the ball, but after being struck by electricity, his friends tried to help her. 

The condition of another child is critical, he is on artificial ventilation, while the condition of the third one is satisfactory.