Algeria storms leave 8 dead, disrupt port:papers

ALGIERS (Reuters) - Heavy wind, rain and snow in OPEC member Algeria have killed eight people and disrupted the movement of oil and gas tankers at the port of Arzew near the western city of Oran, newspapers reported on Sunday.

Arzew port authorities were forced to halt oil and gas tanker activity until Saturday due to rough seas caused by 90 km-per-hour winds, but the storm had now calmed, daily El Khabar said.

The bad weather damaged electricity and telephone networks and caused houses to collapse in several provinces over the past two days, it said.

State news agency APS said 3,561 houses were damaged in the southern province of Adrar and a cabinet meeting would soon approve an emergency relief plan targeting southern regions.

Floods killed more than 40 in the southern oasis town of Ghardaia in October.