Man killed in a roof collapse caused by heavy snow in Ajara

The roof of a house caved in under the weight of snow in the mountainous village of Zeda Sameba in Georgia’s Ajara region, killing its 44-year-old owner.

Neighbors had called out rescuers after the house collapsed in the small hours of the night, however by the time they arrived the man was dead. His wife and child were not home at the time of the collapse.

The building had been in a poor state of repair for quite some time, the neighbors said, and the build-up of snow on the roof that the owner had failed to remove due to an illness proved the last straw.

The family he has left behind is now homeless and asking the government for help.

An investigation based on article 166 of Georgia’s criminal code – ‘homicide through negligence’ – has been launched.