Georgia landslide leaves 7 dead as rescuers search for missing

A total of seven people were killed and more than 30 others were reported missing after a devastating landslide in the western Georgian region of Racha, Georgia's prime minister announced on Friday.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili also revealed that rescuers were on the scene and that he had enlisted the army to join in the search.

"Unfortunately, seven bodies have been found so far. It is a very difficult situation... they are looking for more than 30, but let's wait for the results," he said.

According to the interior ministry, in an earlier post, 140 people had been evacuated while two helicopters and rescue dogs were involved in the search efforts.

The images from the site showed rescue workers picking through debris partially buried by the moved earth.

Meanwhile, rescue teams used their hands and excavators to shift the soil.

The landslide occurred on Thursday in Shovi, a small resort area in Georgia's mountainous northwest famed for its vast forests and natural springs.

Merab Gaprindashvili, a geologist from Georgia's National Environmental Agency, said Thursday's landslide was caused by a combination of factors and was unlikely to happen again.

"In particular, there are two glaciers in the headwaters of the river, which are intensively melting. This was accompanied by heavy rainfall," he said in a televised interview.

Heavy rains and flooding are not uncommon in Georgia and the region's steep slopes pose a risk of landslides.

Previously, in 2008 six people were killed by a landslide in the southern Black Sea region of Adjara.