A 32-year-old senior special task force officer from the Interior Ministry died after part of the roof of a building, housing local branch of the state security service in the town of Zugdidi, collapsed overnight on Tuesday.

Deputy Interior Minister, Vakhtang Gomelauri, who arrived on the scene, said that the collapse was caused by a water heater blast in the building. He said it was an “accident” and denied attack or blast of an explosive device.