A train has been destroyed in an explosion near a Georgian military base at Skra, eight kilometres from the city of Gori. According to the Georgian Interior Ministry it ran over a mine. Meanwhile it is reported that Geor

Flames and thick black smoke could be seen billowing into the air from the wreckage.

Thirteen tank-wagons of the 34-wagon train are still on fire.

There is no information on any casualties or the extent of the damage at the moment.

Meanwhile, the Georgian side has been gathering its troops and heavy military hardware near the border with South Ossetia.

Irina Gagloyeva, Head of the South Ossetia Committee for Information, said last night that Georgians had fired upon neighbouring villages forcing the local population to leave their houses.

“The area where Georgian troops are concentrated in is situated around 70 km from the capital Tskhinvali. It's a mountainous region where it's hard to operate and there are no Russian peacekeeping troops stationed there,” Gagloyeva said.