Torrential rains caused flash floods in Tbilisi, Georgia that killed at least 19 people. A small creek burst its banks and flooded residential areas of the city, destroying homes. The city's zoo was also flooded, and several animals escaped, including lions, tigers, bears and panthers. One tiger later attacked and killed a man. This was one of the worst natural disasters to hit Tbilisi, and around 200 people lost their homes. The cost of repairs to the city is estimated at 50 million euro.

1. At least 19 people died after
flash floods hit Tbilisi, smash-
ing into houses, ripping up
roads and destroying the city’s
zoo (June 14) .
Torrential rain turned a
small creek that runs through
the city into a wild, uncontrol-
lable river. It burst its banks
and swept along recently paved
and concreted areas into resi-
dential parts of Tbilisi.
Several animals escaped the
flooded zoo, including lions,
tigers, bears and panthers but
dozens others died. A cornered
tiger reportedly attacked and
killed a man in a flooded
warehouse on June 17. Police
later shot dead the tiger.
The authorities ordered
people to stay inside until they
had re-captured all the animals.
Video showed a hippo roaming
through central Tbilisi before
being hit with a tranquilliser
dart and brought under control.
The carcasses of dead lions,
bears and deer floated through
flooded streets, past smashed
cars caked with mud and houses
missing walls.
This was one of the worst
natural disaster to hit Tbilisi
in living memory.
PM Irakli Garibashvili said
around 200 people lost their
homes and that the cost of
repairing the city would be
around 50m euro.
But the damage to Georgia’s
prestige may be worse. People
were quick to portion blame for
the floods, many saying poor
construction work had destroyed
the river’s run-off area.
Nana Janashia, director of
the Caucasus Environmental NGO
Network (CENN), also said the
non-existence of an emergency
plan was also a problem.
"This was absolutely predict-
able and is the result of high
rain precipitation, human impact
and poor infrastructures dating
back to Soviet times," she said.
Others blamed former presi-
dent Mikheil Saakashvili who
initiated the construction of
the new highway. In a 2009
article, the magazine Liberali
said the construction of the
highway could lead to potential
disastrous floods.
Issue no. 236
June 18 2015 (covering June 12 - 18)
editor@theconwaybulletin.com
www.theconwaybulletin.com
Cross Fell ltd, Copyright © 2015The Conway Bulletin, 1 St Colme Street, Edinburgh, EH3 6AA; +44 (0)131 220 8286
EST. 2010 | THE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER FOR CENTRAL ASIA & THE SOUTH CAUCASUS
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>>Flood is worst natural disaster to hit Tbilisi in living memory
>>Zoo animals roam Tbilisi streets, tiger kills man
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ARMENIA page 8
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Tbilisi river floods, kills 19
people and destroys zoo
(Picture: Joseph Alexander Smith)