Georgian authorities say heavy rainfall and flash floods overnight left several people dead, with many others missing in the capital, Tbilisi.
The city's zoo was also flooded, allowing tigers, lions, wolves, and other animals to escape.
On June 14, government officials said the death toll had reached 13. Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri said a further 24 are missing.
Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has declared June 15 as a day of mourning.
Heavy rains started late in the evening on June 13, turning the Vere River flowing through Tbilisi into a torrent that swept away dozens of buildings and cars and damaged power lines.
Rescue workers were searching submerged buildings to check for trapped residents.
Tbilisi Mayor David Narmania said the situation was "very grave."
PHOTO GALLERY: Scenes of destruction in Tbilisi
Tbilisi Flash Flood Kills At Least 13, Devastates City's Zoo
1/14
Georgian authorities say heavy rainfall and flash floods overnight left at least 13 people dead and some 24 others missing in the capital, Tbilisi. Heavy rains started late evening on June 13, turning the Vere River flowing through Tbilisi into a torrent that swept away dozens of building and cars, and damaged power lines.
The city's zoo was also flooded, allowing tigers, lions, wolves, and other animals to escape. Three zoo workers were killed in the flooding. Some of the animals have been captured, but it remained unclear how many are on the loose. Authorities asked the city residents to stay indoors while the animals are rounded up.
President Giorgi Margvelashvili offered his condolences to the families of the flood victims and promised that the process of rebuilding would quickly begin. Vice mayor of Tbilisi Irakly Lekvinadze said a preliminary estimate put damages at $18 million.
2/14
Georgian authorities say heavy rainfall and flash floods overnight left at least 13 people dead and some 24 others missing in the capital, Tbilisi. Heavy rains started late evening on June 13, turning the Vere River flowing through Tbilisi into a torrent that swept away dozens of building and cars, and damaged power lines.
The city's zoo was also flooded, allowing tigers, lions, wolves, and other animals to escape. Three zoo workers were killed in the flooding. Some of the animals have been captured, but it remained unclear how many are on the loose. Authorities asked the city residents to stay indoors while the animals are rounded up.
President Giorgi Margvelashvili offered his condolences to the families of the flood victims and promised that the process of rebuilding would quickly begin. Vice mayor of Tbilisi Irakly Lekvinadze said a preliminary estimate put damages at $18 million.
3/14Rescuers try to figure out what to do with a runaway bear that found itself perched precariously on the ledge of a flooded building on a Tbilisi street. Police have shot dead several animals over safety concerns, with six wolves killed at a children's hospital, according to broadcaster Rustavi 2.
Georgian authorities say heavy rainfall and flash floods overnight left at least 13 people dead and some 24 others missing in the capital, Tbilisi. Heavy rains started late evening on June 13, turning the Vere River flowing through Tbilisi into a torrent that swept away dozens of building and cars, and damaged power lines.
The city's zoo was also flooded, allowing tigers, lions, wolves, and other animals to escape. Three zoo workers were killed in the flooding. Some of the animals have been captured, but it remained unclear how many are on the loose. Authorities asked the city residents to stay indoors while the animals are rounded up.
President Giorgi Margvelashvili offered his condolences to the families of the flood victims and promised that the process of rebuilding would quickly begin. Vice mayor of Tbilisi Irakly Lekvinadze said a preliminary estimate put damages at $18 million.
4/14A man shoots a tranquilizer dart to put a hippopotamus to sleep at a flooded street in Tbilisi. Animals from the city's zoo, including tigers, lions, bears, and wolves escaped from cages damaged by the rainfall. Some were captured or killed while the search for others goes on. (Reuters/Beso Gulashvili)(Reuters/Beso Gulashvili)
Georgian authorities say heavy rainfall and flash floods overnight left at least 13 people dead and some 24 others missing in the capital, Tbilisi. Heavy rains started late evening on June 13, turning the Vere River flowing through Tbilisi into a torrent that swept away dozens of building and cars, and damaged power lines.
The city's zoo was also flooded, allowing tigers, lions, wolves, and other animals to escape. Three zoo workers were killed in the flooding. Some of the animals have been captured, but it remained unclear how many are on the loose. Authorities asked the city residents to stay indoors while the animals are rounded up.
President Giorgi Margvelashvili offered his condolences to the families of the flood victims and promised that the process of rebuilding would quickly begin. Vice mayor of Tbilisi Irakly Lekvinadze said a preliminary estimate put damages at $18 million.
5/14A man directs the hippo after it was shot with a tranquilizer dart. Reuters/Beso Gulashvili)
Georgian authorities say heavy rainfall and flash floods overnight left at least 13 people dead and some 24 others missing in the capital, Tbilisi. Heavy rains started late evening on June 13, turning the Vere River flowing through Tbilisi into a torrent that swept away dozens of building and cars, and damaged power lines.
The city's zoo was also flooded, allowing tigers, lions, wolves, and other animals to escape. Three zoo workers were killed in the flooding. Some of the animals have been captured, but it remained unclear how many are on the loose. Authorities asked the city residents to stay indoors while the animals are rounded up.
President Giorgi Margvelashvili offered his condolences to the families of the flood victims and promised that the process of rebuilding would quickly begin. Vice mayor of Tbilisi Irakly Lekvinadze said a preliminary estimate put damages at $18 million.
6/14The city's zoo was flooded, allowing tigers, lions, wolves, and other animals to escape. Other animals died in the high water. Three zoo workers were killed in the flooding.
Georgian authorities say heavy rainfall and flash floods overnight left at least 13 people dead and some 24 others missing in the capital, Tbilisi. Heavy rains started late evening on June 13, turning the Vere River flowing through Tbilisi into a torrent that swept away dozens of building and cars, and damaged power lines.
The city's zoo was also flooded, allowing tigers, lions, wolves, and other animals to escape. Three zoo workers were killed in the flooding. Some of the animals have been captured, but it remained unclear how many are on the loose. Authorities asked the city residents to stay indoors while the animals are rounded up.
President Giorgi Margvelashvili offered his condolences to the families of the flood victims and promised that the process of rebuilding would quickly begin. Vice mayor of Tbilisi Irakly Lekvinadze said a preliminary estimate put damages at $18 million.
7/14The city's zoo was flooded, allowing tigers, lions, wolves, and other animals to escape. Other animals died in the high water. Three zoo workers were killed in the flooding.
Georgian authorities say heavy rainfall and flash floods overnight left at least 13 people dead and some 24 others missing in the capital, Tbilisi. Heavy rains started late evening on June 13, turning the Vere River flowing through Tbilisi into a torrent that swept away dozens of building and cars, and damaged power lines.
The city's zoo was also flooded, allowing tigers, lions, wolves, and other animals to escape. Three zoo workers were killed in the flooding. Some of the animals have been captured, but it remained unclear how many are on the loose. Authorities asked the city residents to stay indoors while the animals are rounded up.
President Giorgi Margvelashvili offered his condolences to the families of the flood victims and promised that the process of rebuilding would quickly begin. Vice mayor of Tbilisi Irakly Lekvinadze said a preliminary estimate put damages at $18 million.
8/14
Georgian authorities say heavy rainfall and flash floods overnight left at least 13 people dead and some 24 others missing in the capital, Tbilisi. Heavy rains started late evening on June 13, turning the Vere River flowing through Tbilisi into a torrent that swept away dozens of building and cars, and damaged power lines.
The city's zoo was also flooded, allowing tigers, lions, wolves, and other animals to escape. Three zoo workers were killed in the flooding. Some of the animals have been captured, but it remained unclear how many are on the loose. Authorities asked the city residents to stay indoors while the animals are rounded up.
President Giorgi Margvelashvili offered his condolences to the families of the flood victims and promised that the process of rebuilding would quickly begin. Vice mayor of Tbilisi Irakly Lekvinadze said a preliminary estimate put damages at $18 million.
9/14
Georgian authorities say heavy rainfall and flash floods overnight left at least 13 people dead and some 24 others missing in the capital, Tbilisi. Heavy rains started late evening on June 13, turning the Vere River flowing through Tbilisi into a torrent that swept away dozens of building and cars, and damaged power lines.
The city's zoo was also flooded, allowing tigers, lions, wolves, and other animals to escape. Three zoo workers were killed in the flooding. Some of the animals have been captured, but it remained unclear how many are on the loose. Authorities asked the city residents to stay indoors while the animals are rounded up.
President Giorgi Margvelashvili offered his condolences to the families of the flood victims and promised that the process of rebuilding would quickly begin. Vice mayor of Tbilisi Irakly Lekvinadze said a preliminary estimate put damages at $18 million.
10/14
Georgian authorities say heavy rainfall and flash floods overnight left at least 13 people dead and some 24 others missing in the capital, Tbilisi. Heavy rains started late evening on June 13, turning the Vere River flowing through Tbilisi into a torrent that swept away dozens of building and cars, and damaged power lines.
The city's zoo was also flooded, allowing tigers, lions, wolves, and other animals to escape. Three zoo workers were killed in the flooding. Some of the animals have been captured, but it remained unclear how many are on the loose. Authorities asked the city residents to stay indoors while the animals are rounded up.
President Giorgi Margvelashvili offered his condolences to the families of the flood victims and promised that the process of rebuilding would quickly begin. Vice mayor of Tbilisi Irakly Lekvinadze said a preliminary estimate put damages at $18 million.
11/14
Georgian authorities say heavy rainfall and flash floods overnight left at least 13 people dead and some 24 others missing in the capital, Tbilisi. Heavy rains started late evening on June 13, turning the Vere River flowing through Tbilisi into a torrent that swept away dozens of building and cars, and damaged power lines.
The city's zoo was also flooded, allowing tigers, lions, wolves, and other animals to escape. Three zoo workers were killed in the flooding. Some of the animals have been captured, but it remained unclear how many are on the loose. Authorities asked the city residents to stay indoors while the animals are rounded up.
President Giorgi Margvelashvili offered his condolences to the families of the flood victims and promised that the process of rebuilding would quickly begin. Vice mayor of Tbilisi Irakly Lekvinadze said a preliminary estimate put damages at $18 million.
12/14
Georgian authorities say heavy rainfall and flash floods overnight left at least 13 people dead and some 24 others missing in the capital, Tbilisi. Heavy rains started late evening on June 13, turning the Vere River flowing through Tbilisi into a torrent that swept away dozens of building and cars, and damaged power lines.
The city's zoo was also flooded, allowing tigers, lions, wolves, and other animals to escape. Three zoo workers were killed in the flooding. Some of the animals have been captured, but it remained unclear how many are on the loose. Authorities asked the city residents to stay indoors while the animals are rounded up.
President Giorgi Margvelashvili offered his condolences to the families of the flood victims and promised that the process of rebuilding would quickly begin. Vice mayor of Tbilisi Irakly Lekvinadze said a preliminary estimate put damages at $18 million.
13/14
Georgian authorities say heavy rainfall and flash floods overnight left at least 13 people dead and some 24 others missing in the capital, Tbilisi. Heavy rains started late evening on June 13, turning the Vere River flowing through Tbilisi into a torrent that swept away dozens of building and cars, and damaged power lines.
The city's zoo was also flooded, allowing tigers, lions, wolves, and other animals to escape. Three zoo workers were killed in the flooding. Some of the animals have been captured, but it remained unclear how many are on the loose. Authorities asked the city residents to stay indoors while the animals are rounded up.
President Giorgi Margvelashvili offered his condolences to the families of the flood victims and promised that the process of rebuilding would quickly begin. Vice mayor of Tbilisi Irakly Lekvinadze said a preliminary estimate put damages at $18 million.
14/14A handout picture provided by the Georgian prime minister's press office shows armed policemen patrolling a flooded street in Tbilisi.
Georgian authorities say heavy rainfall and flash floods overnight left at least 13 people dead and some 24 others missing in the capital, Tbilisi. Heavy rains started late evening on June 13, turning the Vere River flowing through Tbilisi into a torrent that swept away dozens of building and cars, and damaged power lines.
The city's zoo was also flooded, allowing tigers, lions, wolves, and other animals to escape. Three zoo workers were killed in the flooding. Some of the animals have been captured, but it remained unclear how many are on the loose. Authorities asked the city residents to stay indoors while the animals are rounded up.
President Giorgi Margvelashvili offered his condolences to the families of the flood victims and promised that the process of rebuilding would quickly begin. Vice mayor of Tbilisi Irakly Lekvinadze said a preliminary estimate put damages at $18 million.
Previous slide
Next slide
Three zoo workers were killed in the flooding. One of the dead was Guliko Chitadze, a zookeeper who lost an arm in an attack by a tiger last month.
Local Rustavi 2 television reported that police have shot dead several animals over safety concerns, with six wolves killed at a children's hospital.
The zoo said an escaped hippopotamus was cornered and subdued with a tranquilizer gun.
Some other animals have also been captured, but it remains unclear how many are on the loose. Tbilisi Mayor Davit Narmania told an emergency cabinet meeting that some animals "unfortunately had to be killed because they represented a danger to the residents."
Helicopters were circling the city early on June 14 and authorities asked residents to stay indoors while the search for the animals goes on.
There were no immediate reports that any of the dead were killed by the animals, which ran off after the floodwaters destroyed their enclosures. Among the beasts that escaped were bears, wolves, and monkeys.
Other animals were hunted down and killed.
The carcasses of at least a lion, a boar, and a tiger were seen, and zoo authorities said six wolves were also dead.
Authorities said the animals may have fled to just about any corner of Tbilisi, including the forests on the steep hills in the city's heart.
President Giorgi Margvelashvili offered his condolences to the families of the flood victims and promised that the process of rebuilding would quickly begin.
Finance Minister Nodar Khaduri put the estimated damages at some $18 million.
"Dozens of families remain homeless as their houses were destroyed or damaged in the capital," Lekvinadze told reporters.
Heavy rains also caused a landslide on the Tskneti-Betania road outside the capital.
Police helicopters evacuated 16 people from Akhaldaba outside Tbilisi, where heavy rains damaged roads.
About 1.1 million people live in Tbilisi.
With reporting by Interfax, Reuters, AFP, AP, and dpa
RFE/RL's Georgian Service is a trusted source of politically and financially independent journalism in a country where much of the media is aligned with the government or the opposition.