Residential Building Collapses In Georgian City Of Batumi

BATUMI, Georgia -- A residential building partially collapsed in Georgia's Black Sea city of Batumi on October 8, leaving an unidentified number of people trapped under the debris.

One man under the rubble spoke to rescue workers by phone, telling them he most likely had a broken leg.

A man’s voice under the debris could also be heard shouting, "I can breathe."

Several cars could be seen nearby, almost completely covered by debris.

A woman and a child were found in one of the vehicles and were sent to the hospital with minor injuries. Earlier reports said two children had been found in a car covered by debris.

All residents of the building have been evacuated. Hundreds of people remained gathered at the site despite rescuers requesting them to leave.

Some of them said that family members were in the building before the tragedy.

There were a total of 12 apartments in the collapsed part of the seven-story building.

It was not immediately clear what caused the collapse of the seven-story building.

Some witnesses said the collapse occurred after an explosion, while some local residents said it might have been caused by ongoing repair works on the building's second floor.