At least 20 dead as Hurricane Melissa hits Haiti

MEXICO CITY, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- At least 20 people have died in Haiti as Hurricane Melissa swept through the country, local media reported on Wednesday.

According to Radio Television Caraibes, several neighborhoods in the southwestern coastal town of Petit-Goave were almost entirely destroyed, with collapsed houses and widespread debris, said Petit-Goave Mayor Jean Bertrand Subreme.

Footage from the scene showed extensive damage, and local reports said remains of the victims were still buried under the rubble.

Melissa, one of the most powerful hurricanes that hit the Caribbean in recent years, has brought heavy rain and flooding to multiple regions of Haiti and Cuba. ■