Carbon monoxide suspected in 12 deaths at Georgia ski resort: police
Twelve people have been found dead of suspected poisoning at a popular ski resort just ahead of peak season.
Twelve people have been found dead of suspected carbon monoxide poisoning at a ski resort in Georgia, police said on Monday.
The bodies of 11 foreigners and one Georgian national were discovered on Saturday in a sleeping area above a restaurant at a ski resort in Gudauri, in the north of the Caucasus country, police said.
“Preliminary tests do not indicate any trace of violence on the bodies,” which were discovered on the second floor of a building housing an Indian food restaurant at the ski resort.
“An oil-powered generator was turned on after the building lost electricity” on Friday, police said.
The authorities have opened an investigation into the incident.
The identities of the victims were not immediately released but they are presumed to be employees of the restaurant, according to the Georgian Interior Ministry.
The deaths are being treated as negligent manslaughter. Autopsies have been ordered to determine the actual cause of death.
Georgia is a former Soviet republic, with its western part lying on the coast of the Black Sea and its north nestled in the Caucasus mountains.
Gudauri is a popular tourist destination for winter sports enthusiasts with a range of slopes suitable for skiers and snowboarders of all levels.
Gudauri is located in the Caucasus mountains in the Mtskheta-Mtianeti region at around 2,200m (7,200ft) above sea level and is about 120km (75 miles) north of Georgia’s capital Tbilisi.
Georgia has been in the news this month after pro-EU protesters were hit with tear gas and water canons fired by police.
Dozens were left needing hospital treatment following the demonstrations in Tbilisi.
Tragic history of deadly chopper crash site
An entire family has died in a tourist helicopter crash in New York, but tragically it is far from the first time an aircraft has plunged into this infamous river.
Wild footage after horror paragliding accident
Incredible footage has emerged after a man broke his back in three places in a horror paragliding accident described as “the worst situation of (his) life”.
Sad detail for family killed in hell crash
The family of five who died when their helicopter crashed into a NYC river, had only just arrived from Barcelona for a special celebration.