Madagascar floods make at least 900 homeless

March 26, 2005

ANTANANARIVO, March 26 (Reuters) - At least 900 people were made homeless and four were missing after flood waters caused by days of heavy rain swirled around the southern Madagascan town of Taolagnaro, emergency officials said on Saturday.

Downpours have pounded the south of the giant Indian Ocean island for the past several days, sparking fresh disaster warnings after floods made tens of thousands of people homeless in various parts of the country of 17 million in recent months.

Emergency officials put the latest figures for the number of people made homeless from flooding in the south since last week at 987 on Saturday, saying about 15,000 people lived in the affected area.

SOURCE: Reuters