PAPEETE: A landslide has buried two homes, killing eight people including a three-year-old girl, on the French Pacific island of Tahiti, authorities said Thursday in a final toll.
The disaster struck at dawn on Wednesday — late evening in mainland France — in the eastern village of Afaahiti after a week of heavy rain.
Those killed also included three women and four men, local prosecutor Solene Belaouar said, adding that all those missing had been found dead.
French President Emmanuel Macron earlier reported seven killed, and extended “the nation’s full support to the families affected.”
France’s high commissioner for French Polynesia said a “30-meter-high” landslide had swept one house away, sending it crashing into a second.
A resident of Afaahiti told AFP she had been woken early Wednesday by what sounded like a train outside her home.
“We went outside and saw that a house was completely covered by earth and mud,” said Ida Labbeyi.
Rescue operations had to be suspended for several hours after a second landslide nearly swept away members of the rescue team.
Tahiti, nearly 16,000 kilometers (9,950 miles) from Paris is one of several French overseas territories that span the Caribbean and the Pacific.
French Polynesia comprises more than 100 islands, including Tahiti.
Eight killed in Tahiti after landslide buries two homes
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Eight killed in Tahiti after landslide buries two homes
- The disaster struck at dawn on Wednesday in the eastern village of Afaahiti
- Those killed also included three women and four men
Greek police detain 313 in raid at university after mob attacked police
- Such attacks against riot police near the university campus are not uncommon
- Riot police used tear gas and stun grenades to beat back the attackers
THESSALONIKI, Greece: Authorities in Greece on Saturday detained 313 people in a raid on the university campus of the country’s second-largest city, Thessaloniki, after riot police were attacked by mobs of people hurling more than 100 Molotov cocktails.
Greek police said roving groups of people wearing hoods emerged from the campus of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in the predawn hours Saturday to attack a squad of riot police. The unit is usually deployed some distance from the campus to quell any disturbances after all-night parties that take place on university grounds.
Police said all 313 people were released without being charged.
Such attacks against riot police near the university campus are not uncommon but it’s the first time that so many people were detained after such a clash during which an unusually high number of firebombs was used.
Riot police used tear gas and stun grenades to beat back the attackers. One officer was taken to a military hospital for burns to his face and leg while a 21-year-old civilian was treated for respiratory problems, police said.
The university said in a statement that off-campus “extremists” in conjunction with some individuals from within university grounds had committed the attacks. They said an investigation is underway to determine if any students had taken part. They added that no permission had been granted for any party to take place on university grounds.
