Heavy rain causes mudslides in Haiti
A mudslide triggered by torrential rains has killed three people in the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince. The current thundery downpours led to rivers of muddy water running down the nearby hills, which knocked down a wall, crushing the building they were in.
Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas, and is vulnerable to mudslides and flash floods as most of the trees have been chopped down, leaving the area without protection from heavy rains. The majority of people live in rickety slum dwellings that quickly collapse under the pressure of the mud and water.
The most recent mudslide is not as severe as those of recent years. Tropical Storm Jeanne passed to the north of Haiti in 2004, bringing heavy rains that buried the city of Gonaives in mud and killed around 3000 people.
The climate is tropical and May and June tend to be one of the wetter periods of the year. Further heavy thunderstorms are forecast over the next few days.
Haiti occupies the western third of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola. It has a land border with the Dominican Republic.
