At least 20 people were killed in the Dominican Republic on Monday after Tropical Storm Noel landed there, bringing heavy rain and flooding, officials said.
Another 20 people were reported as missing in the storm that lashed the Dominican Republic and neighboring Haiti, both on Hispaniola island, said the Dominican National Emergency Agency.
Among the dead, two brothers were killed when a wall of their home collapsed in the Cienaga area on the banks of the Ozama river, the National Emergency agency said. Santo Domingo international airport has also been shut down.
Schools and shops were closed throughout the Dominican Republic and power-cuts were widespread. Authorities said the death toll could rise.
In nearby Cuba, authorities are preparing food, shelter and medical equipment ahead of possible evacuations in the nation's eastern provinces.
At 2:00 p.m. local time (1800 GMT), the storm's center was 50 km northeast of eastern Cuba, with sustained winds of 75 kph, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Centre.
It is expected to dump as much as 50 cm of rain on Hispaniola and up to 38 cm over Cuba before heading out toward the Bahamas.
Source:Xinhua
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