Flooding in Madagascar kills 14

Antananarivo - At least 14 people died in flooding on Friday in the Madagascan capital Antananarivo after a night of torrential rain that caused dams to break, rescue services said.

About 24 000 people were driven out of their homes in the floods and several neighbourhoods were being evacuated in the Indian Ocean island nation, the country's emergency management bureau said.

"Due to the emergency, we call on all schools, churches, town halls, covered gymnasiums and those of good will to facilitate the sheltering of victims," a statement from the bureau said.

Prime Minister Jean Ravelonarivo visited affected areas early on Friday and speedboats were being used to evacuate hard-hit areas.

Three rivers flow in the area of the capital and a number of dams broke, causing around 50 houses to collapse, the statement said.

Electricity was also cut to parts of the capital, with tree trunks carried away in the flooding affecting the operation of a power plant.