Man dies in Zugdidi tobacco warehouse explosion

A tobacco warehouse exploded on the night of 8 April in Zugdidi, a town in the north west of Georgia, killing one man.

Beso Jgushia, 44, was the manager of the warehouse on the town’s Dgebuadze Street.

According to a preliminary investigation, the explosion was caused by a short circuit. The building was completely destroyed, with debris scattered over a 60–70 metre radius. Nearby houses were not damaged, but a small nut factory was damaged. The explosion was followed by a fire, which was contained by firefighters.

Jgushua’s remains were discovered under the ruins of the building two hours after the explosion.

The building was a former UN office which had been converted into warehouses. The owners of the warehouse told journalists that they didn’t store any explosive or flammable substances, or any kind of ammunition in the building, and it’s unclear to them why the explosion was so powerful.

According to local radio station Radio Atinati, police are investigating whether the explosion was intentionally caused.