Scores die in El Salvador floods

Mon Nov 9 2009 16:46:51

At least 124 people have been killed after floods and mudslides, triggered by Hurricane Ida, swept through El Salvador.

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.

He added that 60 people were still missing and about 7,000 more were in shelters.

Ida has regained strength after crossing land and re-entering the Caribbean Sea. It is now a Category two 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.

Hurricane Ida, the first Atlantic hurricane to target the US this year, is closing in on the country's south east, with Louisiana's Governor Bobby Jindal having already declared a state of emergency.

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