Seven hundred and one people died in violent weekend storms that thrashed northern Algeria, authorities said on Friday in releasing a new official toll. Among the dead were 651 people in Algiers, where the working class neighborhood of Bab el Oued Bore the brunt of gale-force winds and a torrential downpour on Saturday. Scores of victims were washed out to sea.
Rescue workers feared the number of dead could climb to 1,000, and said their work was hampered because many roads were still blocked by storm debris. Bureau Report