June 13: 2 years on from deadly flood in Tbilisi
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Today marks exactly two years since the Georgian capital of Tbilisi was hit by a deadly flash flood, which turned out to be the city’s worst human and infrastructural disaster in decades.
Twenty-one people lost their lives due to the flood on the evening of June 13, 2015. The bodies of two of these victims have still not been found.
More than 1000 people from up to 200 families lost their homes or businesses in the natural disaster. According to Tbilisi City Hall figures, 84 houses were fully destroyed while 158 others were seriously damaged.
A flood-hit house in Tbilisi. Photo by Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
Tbilisi Zoo lost almost half of its animal population when the flood waters swamped the animal park in the late hours of June 13.
The disaster damaged homes, businesses and other infrastructure on more than 20 streets in central Tbilisi.
On a wider scale, the World Bank evaluation estimated the flood caused more than 100 million GEL worth of damage on Tbilisi infrastructure.
In a statement released by Tbilisi City Hall last night, the infrastructure destroyed or damaged in the flood is fully restored today. The City Hall spent 40 million GEL on recovery work.
Volunteers clean up a flood-hit Tbilisi park. Photo by Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili remembered the June 13, 2015 disaster in a statement released this morning.
He said this time last year the people in capital Tbilisi were facing one of the worst natural disasters the country has seen.
"June 1 will always remind us of the irreparable human loss and destroyed city centre”, he said.
Margvelashvili added that although nothing can ease the pain caused by losing the lives of citizens, it made everyone optimistic of the future to see how the younger generation came together to help those in need.
More than 26 million GEL was donated by local and foreign citizens, private companies and foreign countries to the charity funds to assist the flood victims. This also included 10.25 million GEL from the Cartu Foundation - a charity fund established and financed by Georgian tycoon and former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili.
Authorities have discovered the bodies of two more flood victims. This news comes five days after the natural disaster, bringing the total death toll to 21.
The Georgian Government will allocate 10 million GEL to Tbilisi City Hall to combat the damage caused by major flooding in the country’s capital overnight.
Dozens of people have been helicoptered to safety after a major landslide isolated Akhaldaba village, which lies nine kilometres away from capital Tbilisi, from the rest of the region.
A disaster is unfolding in Georgia's capital Tbilisi. Heavy rain is causing major damage in Tbilisi's Vake-Saburtalo district. Roads have been swamped, cars have been washed away and houses have been severely flooded. Several animals have also escaped from Tbilisi Zoo.