afrol News, 13 January - A landslide in Chehna has killed a family of six after heavy rainfall in Jijel, about 400 kilometers east of Algeria's capital Algiers.

The victims, a 37-year-old mother and her five children aged between 7 and 2, were killed in the landslide which damaged their traditional built home, according to the local news agency APS.

"The father and another child, who survived the disaster, have been housed in a communal dwelling in Taher," sources from Jijel region said.

Heavy rains have hit Algeria and Morocco in recent months and dozens have been killed by flash floods, landslides, road accidents and collapsing buildings. Floods had also killed more than 40 people in the Algerian oasis town of Ghardaia in October.

Morocco was also hard hit by the torrential rains in October in its several cities, causing significant casualties and leaving hundreds homeless. Considerable livestocks are also reported to have been lost, which has had an effect on the economy in that area, reports indicated.

According to weather reports, these rains have far exceeded, in some provinces, the annual average recorded during the last fifty years. New climatic patterns are said to be affecting the North Africa region, and increasing the vulnerability of poor communities.

The seasonal forecast for October to December 2008 indicated that Morocco and other parts of the north African region would continue to experience above-normal precipitation and since the beginning of December some important snow falls and cold wave have also been recorded.

By staff writer

© afrol News

Related pages and feature

Current afrol News Top Stories