Nine dead in Georgia floods: Zoo animals on the loose in Tbilisi

At least nine people have died and a number more are missing after heavy rainfall and floods overnight in Georgia. Heavy rainfall turned the Vere river, which flows through the capital Tbilisi, into a torrent that swept away dozens of buildings and cars. Animals from the city’s zoo, including tigers, lions, bears and wolves, escaped from cages damaged by the rainfall. Three zoo workers are among the dead, and 10 more people are missing.

Dozens of families remain homeless as their houses were destroyed or damaged in the capital.

Irakly Lekvinadze, vice mayor of Tbilisi

An escaped hippopotamus was cornered in one of the city’s main squares and subdued with a tranquiliser gun. Some other animals have been located, but it remains unclear how many are on the loose. It was not immediately clear if the eight who were killed died as a result of the flooding or animal attacks. The zoo said one of those who died was Guliko Chitadze, a zookeeper who lost an arm in an attack by a tiger last month. A preliminary estimate has put the damages at $10m (£6.4m), according to Irakly Lekvinadze, vice mayor of Tbilisi.

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