afrol News, 26 January - The Algerian massive storms have killed eight people and disrupted operations in the oil exporting country, media reports said on Sunday. The bad weather is reported to have damaged electricity and telephone networks and caused more than 3, 561 houses to collapse.

Port authorities at Azrew, near the western city of Oran, were forced to halt oil and gas tanker activity until Saturday due to rough seas caused by 90 km-per-hour winds, local news paper El Khabar said.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Solidarity, Family and National Community, Djamel Ould Abbès announced that an emergency plan for looking after the stricken people of the inundations that hit Adrar province will be adopted during the next Government Council.

Local news agency, APS reported that Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia had also taken necessary measures to help the hard hit region.

Earlier this month, a landslide in Chehna killed six after heavy rainfall in Jijel, about 400 kilometers east of Algeria's capital Algiers.

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.

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