The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, Santo Domingo

Floods and landslides triggered by Tropical Storm Noel have killed at least 80 people in the Dominican Republic and Haiti, as the weather system Thursday slowly headed towards the Bahamas.

At least 56 people were killed and dozens are missing in the Dominican Republic, said Luis Luna Palino, who heads the Dominican Republic's National Emergencies Center (CNE).

In neighboring Haiti, at least 24 people were killed, Civil Protection officials said.

The center of Noel ripped through central and eastern Cuba on Wednesday, where no casualties were reported though more than 20,000 people were evacuated from the storm's path.

With dams full, rivers bloated and the soil saturated from weeks of rain, Cuban Civil Defense authorities warned of possible floods and landslides.

At 0600 GMT Thursday the center of Noel was located about 200 kilometers (125 miles) southwest of Nassau, in the Bahamas, and about 315 kilometers (195 miles) southeast of Miami, the Florida-based National Hurricane Center reported.

Noel was crawling north at eight kilometers (five miles) per hour, packing maximum sustained winds near 95 kilometers (60 miles) and hour, with higher gusts.

Noel barreled across the Dominican Republic on Sunday, slamming Haiti on Monday. By Wednesday, Noel's sequels continued to wreak havoc over Hispaniola, the island the two countries share.

"The situation is still dangerous and the number of deaths could rise," said Palino.

"Rescuing people is becoming difficult because the rains are continuing," Palino told local radio, adding that floods had cut off 39 communities in the south of the country, where more than one-third of the population was left without power.