Tbilisi flood recovery: Experts in action on June 22

Special recovery teams will spend the day clearing debris, removing mud and pumping water from water-clogged animal cages at Tbilisi Zoo and nearby territory to help the city recover from the June 13 deadly flash flood.

Today marks nine days since the natural disaster.

Georgia’s special state services are continuing to search for a tiger and a striped hyena who escaped from Tbilisi Zoo after the facility was destroyed in the flooding.

Fifteen calls were made to the 112 emergency phone number about the missing animals’ possible whereabouts overnight. All of these reports were followed up but none resulted in finding the missing animals.

Meanwhile at Tbilisi Zoo several cages were still full of water so until all the water and mud was pumped out, it was not possible to say for sure whether the missing animals were dead or alive, said officials.

The country’s Crisis Management Team asked citizens to be watchful and call 112 if they spotted either of the missing creatures.

Expert clean-up crews are actively working in Svaindze and Tskneti streets, Tbilisi Zoo and Laguna Vere territory and in Mziuri Park; the most affected areas of the capital city. Volunteers have been evacuated from the disaster zones for safety purposes.

Today hundreds of rescue, security police, Special Tasks Department and Defence Ministry officers are involved in the works and using large machines rented by Tbilisi City Hall for the clean-up operations.

Meanwhile disinfection works are underway at all ‘at risk’ locations so prevent any possible disease epidemic spreading from the bodies of dead animals or unsanitary conditions.

Of those who lost homes to the flooding, 328 people were now housed in hotels and 92 have been taken to private flats for temporary accommodation.