Flash Floods Kill 11 in Mauritius

PM: Today a day of mourning
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Apr 1, 2013 2:23 AM CDT
Flash Floods Kill 11 in Mauritius
Mauritius suffered flash floods this weekend.   (Shutterstock)

Flash floods killed at least 11 people in the capital of the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius this weekend, leaving the prime minister pointing a finger at climate change as the culprit. Officials today said that most of the dead drowned in rivers of water that rose swiftly Saturday in a pedestrian underpass and an underground car park. Torrential downpours slammed the capital of Port Louis; the meteorological office reported six inches of rain fell in less than an hour.

National TV showed people clinging to each other as they waded through hip-high water in a central street, and L'Express newspaper showed cars floating away. Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam declared today a day of mourning. On national radio yesterday he blamed climate change for the floods. The BBC has photos. (More Mauritius stories.)

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