Georgia ski resort horror as 12 found dead from carbon monoxide poisoning in rooms

Twelve people have died from carbon monoxide poisoning at a ski resort.

Police in Georgia said the bodies of 11 foreigners and one Georgian national were found in bedrooms on the second floor above an Indian restaurant at the ski station of Gudauri.

The police spokesperson added "preliminary tests do not indicate any trace of violence on the bodies". The Georgian Interior Ministry said the people are presumed to be employees of the restaurant.

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An investigation has now been launched into the deaths. The ministry is reportedly treating the deaths as involuntary manslaughter, which carries a prison sentence of three to five years in the event of the deaths of more than two people.

Investigators discovered that a power generator located close to the 12 rooms was switched on the day before following a power outage. "An oil-powered generator was turned on after the building lost electricity" on Friday, police said. They are now trying to establish whether this could have been the cause of the carbon monoxide build-up.

Autopsies have now been ordered to establish the exact cause of death of the victims. Their identities have not yet been released.

Gudauri is the largest and highest ski resort in the former Soviet state. It is located on the south-facing plateau of The Greater Caucasus Mountain Range. It lies 75mi north of the Georgian capital of Tbilisi, at an elevation of 7,200ft above sea level.

Carbon monoxide gas is colourless and does not smell, so you cannot tell if it is around you. The NHS says symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headache, dizziness, feeling sick or being sick, feeling weak, confusion, chest and muscle pain, and shortness of breath.

The NHS adds: "The symptoms may come and go. They may get worse when you spend time in an affected room or building and get better when you leave or go outside."

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