Fire blazes through shopping centre in Tbilisi

Hundreds of shopkeepers have suffered major financial loss after a powerful fire burned through a shopping centre in Tbilisi overnight.

Thirty-one firefighting units were called to the scene to tackle the fire that broke out in Children’s World and Gold Market, a shopping and jewellery trade centre in Tbilisi’s Didube district at about 4 a.m. on Monday morning.

A representative from Georgia’s Emergency Management Agency, Davit Gelahsvili, said that one fire-fighter suffered minor injuries during the efforts to extinguish the fire. 

The fire was fully extinguished towards 11 a.m, Agenda.ge reports.

It is still unclear as to what caused the fire at the shopping centre. An investigation has been launched into the matter. The Interior Ministry said the investigation will examine the possibility of criminal involvement in the fire.