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Tropical storm Hanna kills at least 38 in Haiti, affects Dominica
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-09-04 11:38

HAVANA -- Tropical storm Hanna has killed at least 38 people and left thousands homeless in Haiti and caused widespread flooding in the Dominican Republic, authorities said Wednesday.


Men walk on a flooded road outside Gonaives September 3, 2008.  [Agencies] 

According to reports reaching here, many houses were damaged by the flooding. The city of Gonaives, some 100 km north to the capital city, was flooded and declared in emergency state. The death toll reached 10 on Wednesday.

The flooding even blocked the entrance to Gonaives, where water in some areas was three meters deep.

Haitian President Rene Preval said the government was taking actions to cope with the situation in eight of the 10 provinces of the country.

Meanwhile, in the Dominican Republic, some 7,500 people were evacuated and no casualties were reported so far, said the authorities.

The Dominican government has issued a red alert, or the maximum alert, for 11 provinces and Puerto Plata District in the north of the country.

Besides Hanna, other two storms, Ike and Josephine, are gaining strength over the Atlantic Ocean.

Ike is now near the Sotavento islands of Dominica, and is moving west at 28 km per hour with sustained winds of 100 km per hour while Josephine was located southeast of the Cabo Verde islands, moving west-northeast 22 km per hour with sustained winds of 85 km per hour.

The Meteorological National Office reported that Ike and Josephine are gaining strength though Hanna has seen a minor decline. Showers will continue with thunder storms and winds for the most part of the Dominican territory.