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From The Scene: Bombing Of Georgian City Of Gori


Koba Liklikadze, a correspondent for RFE/RL's Georgian Service, reported from the Georgian city of Gori on August 9, following an attack by Russian planes.

"At 10 a.m., the bombing of Gori resumed. The first bomb fell close to an apartment block under construction near the stadium.

"The second bomb fell near the entrance to the city.

"My colleagues from Ajara TV and Radio Imedi and I took a car to the entrance of the city. Close to the artillery base (located near the city limits), we saw a dreadful sight.

"Apart from the base itself, two apartment blocks were on fire. The yard was full of bodies. There was nobody there besides us, and as we started to film we heard terrible screams from the buildings. At just this moment, one of the buildings was hit again and we ran to the cellar [for shelter].

"When we emerged, the scene was even worse. There were more [dead] people lying on the ground.

"Emergency vehicles and fire trucks arrived on the scene, and bombs fell on other apartment blocks in the area, but as far as I know there were no casualties there, because after the first bombs hit people there ran to the cellars for shelter.

"According to our count, several dozens were killed -- mostly women and among them a lot of elderly women.

"As far as journalists are concerned, we received information that several groups of foreign journalists are trapped in the theater of conflict.

"You can probably hear the emergency vehicles passing by, which are carrying wounded to Tbilisi because Gori's hospital is already full."

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