20:04, 31 January 2018

Experts treat intention to save money as the reason for ceiling collapse in Tbilisi metro

“Varketili” metro station, Tbilisi, January 30, 2018. Photo: © Sputnik / STRINGER https://sputnik-georgia.ru/incidents/20180130/239102762/Obrushenie-potolka-v-metro-Tbilisi-poslednie-novosti.html

The suspended ceiling at the "Varketili" metro station was mounted on top of the old structure. The founder of the company, which carried out the repairs, stated that this was a demand of the Tbilisi Mayoralty.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the collapse of a part of the ceiling at the "Varketili" metro station in Tbilisi occurred in the morning on January 30. Fourteen people were injured; the condition of two of them is treated as grave.

The authorities of Tbilisi, trying to save money, had changed the renovation project of the “Varketili” metro station, demanding to preserve the old asbestos-cement slabs of the ceiling, despite their poor condition. Goga Kvaratskheliya, the author of the project and the executive director of the “Geomap” Engineering Institute, has stressed that he had demanded to remove these slabs, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

Mr Kvaratskheliya has added that he is ready to answer all the investigators’ questions, but he has not been summoned for questioning yet.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.

Author: Galina Gotua

Source: CK correspondent