ArmInfo- BLACK SEA PRESS. Damage caused by the Wednesday landslide on the Georgian Military Highway in Dariali Gorge is more tangible than from the last landslide in May. Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said on 21 August. Two people are reported to be missing in the disaster area. Vehicle traffic on the highway, linking Georgia and Russia, has been banned due to the emergency situation.
"Fortunately, the alarm system that was installed after the last landslide help us timely evacuate people. We work 24-hour to liquidate the disaster aftermaths," Garibashvili said.
Georgian Infrastructure Minister, David Shavliashvili; as well as Interior Minister, Alexander Chikaidze; Finance Minister, Nodar Khaduri and Environment Minister, Elguja Khokrishvili, visited the site of natural disaster on Premier Gharibashvili's task, overnight on Thursday. A coordination council for elimination of disaster consequences has been set up.
As Georgian Premier reported this morning, he personally controlled the situation with elimination of the landslide aftermath. He, however, could not personally visit the disaster site because of his earlier scheduled official visit to Armenia.
The landslide fell the same place, where it had blocked the road in May this year. On May 17, a huge land slide mixed with ice fell down from the Kazbek Mountain on the territory of Georgia, blocking the Military Georgian Highway and the Terek river's stream-bed. The blockade endangered by breakthrough and flooding of settlements in the pre-border zone. A part of the highway was flooded. The Georgian Military Highway was closed for vehicle traffic for a month.