Nenskra river floods in Georgia's Svaneti region

The Nenskra river flooded its banks due to a landslide near the village of Chuberi in the highland region of Svaneti today. Villagers are sharing videos of the raging river carrying stones and up-rooted trees.

Emergency Services reported that the river destroyed several bridges and flooded adjacent areas, though no injuries or fatalities have been reported.

They also told the InterpressNews agency that rescuers have been mobilized and are trying to reach the disaster site.

One local resident told Radio Liberty that border guards reported the landslide to the village administration, who asked some of the local residents to leave their houses.

• There has been ongoing discussions regarding the construction of Georgia’s largest hydroelectric power station, with a capacity of 280 megawatts, on the Nenskra river for years. In September 2015 the government approved the project, aiming to begin construction in 2017. However, local residents and environmental activists say that building the station could lead to an ecological catastrophe.