12-Year-Old Girl Died On a New Bridge

Nazi Mikelashvili, 12, drowned in the Aragvi River on June 20, 2011. Soon after the accident, Dusheti district governor Lasha Janashvili told the Information Center of Mtskheta-Mtianeti that children were playing on the river-bank; one of them slipped and fell into the flooded river.

Yesterday, journalists of the ICMM were in Pshavi region. They found out that the girl in fact died on the new bridge in Tkhiliani village.

“Children and teacher were walking along the bridge. Suddenly, the bridge broke down; my granddaughter fell into the flooded Aragvi River. The teacher could not rescue her because Nazi’s sister was also falling into the river and the teacher helped her. The bridge was newly constructed but apparently it was badly done and the child died because of it,” the grandpa of the dead Nazi Mikelashvili – Ioseb Jabanishvili told the ICMM.

Residents of Tkhiliani village said they destroyed the bridge after the girl died and continued walking across the old bridge which is also dangerous for life.

Dusheti district deputy governor Manana Narimanidze said the bridge in Tkhiliani village was constructed in 2009; 7 720 GEL was allocated for the purpose from the central budget. The construction activities were carried out by Pazisi Ltd.

Dusheti district police did not launch criminal case on the death of the girl.

ICMM