GORI, Aug 24: Bus-loads of Georgians poured into Gori on Sunday, returning to rebuild their lives after Russian soldiers pulled out of the traumatised city two days ago.For the first time in more than a week, stalls were piled with fruit, shops were full of hungry customers and the streets were clogged with traffic.

“People are coming back bit by bit. Still not everyone is back. But we are getting back to normal,” said local resident Tariel Japaridze, who stayed in the city throughout the conflict.

“But we are still scared. How can we be sure there is not going to be another war? The Russian troops have only gone back 10 kilometres outside the city,” he said.

Yellow buses carrying inhabitants who fled the fighting to the capital Tbilisi arrived all day Sunday in Gori’s main square.

Bag after bag containing mattresses, clothes and children’s soft toys were unloaded from the buses as people were reunited with relatives or took taxis back to their homes. Gori’s main square — named after Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin who was born in the city — was filled with the sound of broken glass being swept away as businesses worked to be open on Monday morning.

Zoya, a grandmother who had just climbed off the bus by Stalin’s gigantic statue in the square, stood surrounded by her luggage packed into plastic bags and was waiting for a ride home.—AFP