Eight drown in Djibouti
2004-04-13 13:19
Djibouti - At least eight people drowned in the city of Djibouti after heavy overnight rains. Many were still missing on Tuesday, the interior ministry said.
Most of the dead were swept away when the Ambouli River burst its banks.
The heavy rains, which lasted several hours, flooded several parts of the capital of the tiny Horn of Africa state.
Schools and businesses were closed on Tuesday and most streets were impassable, while the railway linking the city to the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa was closed as a security measure.
French and US forces based in Djibouti used helicopters to rescue people stranded on rooftops.
No information was immediately available about the situation in other areas of the country.
- AFP