From: MSN NicknameEagle_wng (Original Message) Sent: 12/17/2007 4:26 AM Abkhazians remember victims of Lata calamity Sukhum/Agency Caucasus - The people of Abkhazia commemorated the 15th anniversary of the Lata calamity in which 84 people, including 34 children, were killed when a Russian helicopter was gunned down while it was set to join the work of rescue during the war between Abkhazia and Georgia.
The victims' relatives, war veterans and the local people joined the commemorative ceremonies in both Gudauta and Tkuarchal. The Georgian soldiers shot down on December 14, 1992, a Russian helicopter while it was carrying bunches of hopeless people from Tkuarchal to Gudauta. It was brought down while it was flying overhead in the Lata village of Gulprish province.
Among the victims burned to death were there eight pregnant women. Tkuarchal had been blockaded as long as the war between Georgia and Abkhazia continued for 413 days. Russian helicopters were carrying food to Tkuarchal and taking both women and children to Gudauta.
The victims were all buried in Gudauta. The ceremony here at the memorial erected for the Lata victims attracted people from all over Abkhazia.
The other ceremony in Tkuarchal was held exactly where the above-mentioned Russian helicopter took off. Abkhazian President Sergei Bagapsh joined the commemoration here and called for constant remembrance of the victims who died for the independence of Abkhazia. KU/ÖZ/FT
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