Tkibuli

Tkibuli or Tqibuli (Georgian: ტყიბული) is a town in west-central Georgia of 8,130 residents (January 2024).

It is located between two man-made reservoirs used for hydropower generation with an elevation difference of more than 600 metres (2,000 ft).

Since production has resumed in 2008 by a Georgian company, the mines are a mainstay of local economy providing 2,000 people and their families the only source of income.

However, the mines have become notorious for fatal accidents due to outdated equipment and inappropriate safety standards.

[4] After a series of fatal accidents, claiming 16 lives in total in 2018,[5] mining was put on hold in late 2018 but resumed again in 2019.