A Georgian helicopter /Mi-8/ has crashed today, into the water while filling the reservoir in Borjomi Gorge this morning. All the three crew members have been taken to a hospital in Tbilisi - none of them has been fatally injured.

Fire brigades, rescuers and doctors have been mobilised near the territory.
Interior Minister Giorgi Mgebrishvili also went to familiarize with the situation on the ground; however, he did not yet make any comments over the accident.

A massive forest fire that broke out a week ago in Georgia’s Borjomi Gorge has been extinguished, but the special headquarters that was set up upon the Prime Minister’s order to handle the disaster remains in the gorge to follow the developments.

After a joint meeting earlier this morning, the Ministers of Interior, Defense and Energy studied the situation on the site from helicopters.

Over the past few days, business and banking sector representatives and citizens alike have expressed their readiness to engage in the program for restoring the forest burned following the recent devastating wildfire in the Borjomi Gorge, with several social campaigns already in full swing.

To sustain this commendable spirit among our citizens, and to consolidate and coordinate resources, the Administration of the Government will facilitate a unified e-platform to reflect all activities and initiatives under the program for the Borjomi forest restoration.
In addition, the Finance Ministry's Treasury Service has opened special bank accounts in both national and foreign currencies in order to finance firefighting operations and to restore the forest in the Borjomi Gorge.

Said e-portal will enable us to ensure the openness and transparency of deposit and expenditure operations, so that every citizen may trace the spending of each tetri donated by them for the restoration of the forest in the Borjomi Gorge.
Individuals, private sector and business representatives, and our compatriots abroad alike can donate money and deposit sums into the accounts listed below.

Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Kvirikashvili has been provided with information on anti-fire efforts in Borjomi as well as Ateni Gorge, Shida Kartli, Georgia. 

As a reminder, the fire also erupted in the forest of the Boshuri village, Gori district, Shida Kartli region. 

As reported by the governmental administration of Georgia the fire has been localized in Ateni. Soldiers continue working in the gorge for full prevention. 

‘The fire has also stopped spreading at new locations at Borjomi gorge. The fire area has also significantly reduced. Several locations are still engulfed in flames. Rescuers and firefighters brigades worked all night in the gorge… Five helicopters resumed working starting with this morning. The plane sent by Turkey has also engaged in the process. 95 firefighter-rescuers from Azerbaijan, 70 – from Armenia are in the gorge to help the Georgian firefighters. Heavy technique from Azerbaijan and Armenia is also involved in the efforts,’ the administration says.