Lions, tigers and even a hippopotamus escaped from a zoo in the Georgian capital Tbilisi Sunday, adding to chaos caused by flooding that killed at least 12 people.The flooding began when heavy rains caused the River Vere - normally little more than a stream - to burst its banks. Thousands of people have been left without water and electricity while others have had to be airlifted to safety.

Mayor Davit Narmania said the situation was "very grave". Several main roads have been destroyed while small houses and cars were swept away.

Heavy flooding in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, has killed at least 12 people, with officials warning people to stay indoors to avoid animals that have escaped from a zoo. The missing animals include tigers, lions, bears and wolves. Three of the dead people were found within the zoo.

A hippopotamus was cornered in one of the city's main squares and subdued with a tranquiliser gun. Rescue workers are searching submerged homes to check for trapped residents.

Dozens of people have been left homeless.Carcasses of wild animals that have been shot dead litter the streets and tangled heaps of wreckage scar a large area around Tbilisi’s zoo after Saturday night’s flash flood.  The zoo itself has been almost totally destroyed, says its director, with most of its animals either drowned or shot after escaping. “It’s an unbelievable tragedy,” said Zura Gurielidze as he surveyed his stricken zoo park.

Three of his staff were among those reported dead in the disaster. Among them was 56-year-old Guliko Chitadze, who was attacked by one of the zoo’s tigers last month and lost an arm. She had just returned to work, telling fellow staff she did not blame the tiger for what happened. She lived in the zoo grounds with her husband, who died with her.

Among the biggest tragedies for the zoo is the loss of a rare white lion called Shumba. It had become one of the zoo’s biggest attractions after they paired it with a dog to keep it company, after Shumba’s mother stopped caring for him. They became friends and could be seen playing and sleeping together right outside the zoo’s main offices. The escaped hippo was cornered in one of the city’s main squares on Sunday and subdued with a tranquilliser gun, the zoo said. Some other animals also have been seized, but it remained unclear how many were still on the loose.

Such heavy rain is unusual for this time of year. But many say uncontrolled development in the area made things worse, with the drainage system overwhelmed. The zoo, situated at the bottom of a valley in the city, was right in the target of line of the surge of water that resulted.

Crocodile found swimming on the road