In El Salvador 91 die in floods caused by hurricane

Sun Nov 8, 2009 8:07pm GMT
 

SAN SALVADOR (Reuters) - At least 91 people have been killed and another 60 or more are missing after floods and mudslides in El Salvador triggered by Hurricane Ida, the government said on Sunday.

The nation's Interior Minister Humberto Centeno called it "a tragedy" and said rescue workers were still struggling to reach some of the worst affected areas.

"Up until noon there have been, sadly, 91 deaths in all five (affected) provinces. There are 60 people missing in just the province of San Vicente," Centeno told a news conference.

Ida has regained strength after crossing land and re-entering the Caribbean Sea. It is now a Category 2 hurricane and is poised to enter the Gulf of Mexico, where important oil and gas fields are located.

Heavy rains began falling on El Salvador on Saturday night as the storm moved through. Rivers burst their banks and mudslides in the country's hilly interior cut roads and buried houses.

Officials warned further rains was possible but should dissipate by Monday.

(Reporting by Nelson Renteria; writing by Robert Campbell; editing by Chris Wilson)

Photo
Photo
Uganda gays feel threatened by bill

Being gay or lesbian in Uganda is illegal and those who are risk being locked away for up to 14 years. Now, a new parliamentary bill wants gay people to face even stiffer penalties and is proposing life imprisonment and even death sentences in some cases...  Blog 

 
Photo
Ethiopian plane crash should not sully success story

When news of the Ethiopian Airlines plane crash broke this morning my heart sank at the thought of covering yet another negative story about Ethiopia.  Blog 

 
Photo
How will Chinese culture influence Africa?

So far, media coverage of China’s involvement in Africa has mostly been about investment. Stories of Chinese engineers in hard hats standing by roads up mountains in Ethiopia. Stories of Chinese farmers moving to Zambia.   Blog 

 
Photo
The unnumbered dead

The simple answer to the question of how many people died in Congo’s civil war is “too many”.  Blog 

 
Photo
Guinea tests Western influence in Africa

Whether Guinea’s absent junta leader Moussa Dadis Camara makes it back to his home country or not will be the latest test of Western powers’ dwindling influence in Africa.  Blog 

 
Photo
Africa-Asia ties flying high

Investment from China and other Asian countries was an important factor in several years of unprecedented growth in Africa before the global downturn hit.  Blog 

 
Powered by Reuters AlertNet. AlertNet provides news, images and insight from the world's disasters and conflicts and is brought to you by Reuters Foundation.