17 die in Madagascar tropical storm

A powerful tropical storm which swept through Madagascar has left 17 people dead and affected thousands of others, according to an official toll published on Sunday.

Storm Eliakim packed winds of up to 105 kilometres (65 miles) an hour after hitting the northeast of the Indian Ocean island on Friday and barrelling down the east coast.

The death toll was announced by the country's disaster management office, which also said 15,000 people had been affected by the storm.

Madagascar, one of the poorest countries on the planet, has been hit by about 40 cyclones and tropical storms over the past 10 years.

In January, cyclone Ava claimed 51 lives and in March last year at least 78 people perished in cyclone Enawo.

Nine dead in Burundi landslide
Nairobi (AFP) March 16, 2018 - Nine workers at a construction site outside Burundi's capital Bujumbura were killed in a landslide on Friday, police said.

Heavy seasonal rains caused the hillside next to the Gasenyi river, east of the city, to collapse burying the workers who were building a channel to redirect the river's floodwaters.

Police said in a statement that nine bodies had so far been found, while rescue efforts continue.

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Tourists stranded as cyclone's tail hits New Zealand
Wellington (AFP) Feb 20, 2018
Up to 1,000 tourists were stranded in New Zealand's Golden Bay Wednesday after the remnants of Cyclone Gita buffeted the South Pacific nation, officials said. Authorities said they were considering sending ferries to ship the holiday-makers out of the remote South Island region after huge landslips closed the main highway. Elsewhere, the storm cut power to tens of thousands of homes, felled trees and washed away roads. Cyclone Gita caused extensive damage as it tore through Tonga and Samoa l ... read more