Arson not ruled out in Georgia hotel fire, owner says

By Davit Kachkachishvili

BATUMI (AA) - The possibility of arson has not been ruled out in Friday's fire at a hotel in Georgia which killed 11 people, according to the hotel’s owner.

"The fire didn’t start naturally. I trust the Georgian justice system. They will reveal the truth," Erol Avgoren, owner of the 22-storey Leogrand Hotel in the Black Sea resort city of Batumi, told Anadolu Agency on Saturday.

Ten Georgians and one Iranian died as a result of the fire. Georgia’s Interior Ministry said 100 people were evacuated from the hotel and 21 people were being treated in hospital, including a number of Turkish citizens.

Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili said on Saturday that all those responsible for the "tragedy" will be punished.

Avgoren said that three days ago before the fire, a technical team did hotel maintenance.

He said there were various claims about the cause of the fire, but denied there had been an explosion.

Avgoren said that water heater cables had burst into flames due to either cigarettes or some other flammable material.

"The first 13 floors of the hotel were full when the fire broke out. During the incident, everyone escaped thanks to the fire escape stairs. The people who lost their lives were on the spa floor," Avgoren said.

He added that the guests who were in the massage room, swimming pool, Turkish bath, and sauna ran into the locker rooms to put on their clothes instead of going to the fire escape.

"The smoke spread very quickly," he said.

Avgoren said prosecutors and the police and fire service will soon release a report on the fire.

Georgia declared Monday a day of mourning to grieve for the victims.