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A2 UP FRONT
Friday 6 OctOber 2017
Tropical Storm Nate blamed for 22 deaths; threatens US coast

By LUIS M. GALEANO ricane strength. She didn’t give details on Flooding drove 5,000 resi- city’s pump and drainage
Associated Press In Nicaragua, Nate’s ar- all the deaths, but said dents into emergency shel- system. Weaknesses in that
MANAGUA, Nicaragua rival followed two weeks two women and a man ters. system were revealed dur-
(AP) — Newly formed ing summer flash floods.
Tropical Storm Nate was The Bureau of Safety and
blamed Thursday for at Environmental Enforce-
least 22 deaths across Cen- ment’s New Orleans office
tral America as it dumped said in a news release that
rain across the region on as of midday Thursday, six
a path that would carry it production platforms, out
toward a potential landfall of the 737 manned plat-
on the U.S. Gulf Coast as a forms in the Gulf, had been
hurricane over the week- evacuated. No drilling rigs
end. were evacuated, but one
Louisiana officials ordered moveable rig was taken
some people to evacuate out of the storm’s path.
coastal areas and barrier The agency estimated less
islands, and evacuations than 15 percent of the cur-
began at some offshore oil rent oil production in the
platforms in the Gulf. Gulf of Mexico has been
The U.S. National Hurricane shut-in, which equates to
Center said the storm could 254,607 barrels of oil per
cause dangerous flooding day.
by dumping as much as 15 The storm was centered
to 20 inches (38 to 50 centi- about 40 miles (65 kilo-
meters) of rain as it moved meters) west-southwest of
over Honduras, with higher Neighbors walk under the rain past a washed out road in Alajuelita on the outskirts of San Jose, Puerto Lempira, Honduras
accumulations in a few Costa Rica, Thursday, Oct. 5, 2017. Tropical Storm Nate formed off the coast of Nicaragua on and was moving north-
places. Thursday and was being blamed for at least 17 deaths in Central America as it spun north toward northwest near 10 mph
a potential landfall on the U.S. Gulf Coast as a hurricane over the weekend.
It had maximum sustained (AP Photo/Moises Castillo) (17 kph).The forecast track
winds of 40 mph (65 kph) showed the storm could
by Thursday afternoon and of near-constant rain that who worked for the Health In Louisiana, officials or- brush across the tip of Mex-
was likely to strengthen had left the ground satu- Ministry were swept away dered the evacuation of ico’s Yucatan Peninsula
over the northwestern Ca- rated and rivers swollen. by a flooded canal in the part of coastal St. Bernard late Friday night and then
ribbean Sea Thursday night Authorities placed the central municipality of Jui- Parish east of New Orleans hit the U.S. Gulf Coast as a
and Friday before a pos- whole country on alert and galpa. ahead of the storm. Ear- hurricane by Sunday morn-
sible strike on the Cancun warned of flooding and The government closed lier Thursday, a voluntary ing. Forecasters said hurri-
region at the tip of Mexi- landslides. schools nationwide. evacuation was called in cane conditions were pos-
co’s Yucatan Peninsula at Nicaragua’s vice president Costa Rica’s Judicial Inves- the barrier island town of sible in Mexico Friday night.
near-hurricane strength. and spokeswoman, Rosa- tigation Organism blamed Grand Isle south of New In the Pacific, former Tropi-
It could hit the U.S. Gulf rio Murillo, said that at least seven deaths in that coun- Orleans. cal Storm Ramon dissipat-
coast near New Orleans 15 people had died in that try on the storm and said New Orleans officials out- ed off the southwestern
over the weekend at hur- country due to the storm. 15 people were missing. lined steps to bolster the coast of Mexico.q
4 Niger soldiers, 3 US commandos killed in attack in Niger

By DALATOU MAMANE and about twenty mo- (124 miles) north of Niger’s cal Center in Germany, should be on the ground
LOLITA C. BALDOR torcycles,” the statement capital, Niamey. However, U.S. Africa Command said by March 2018.The Security
Associated Press said. The deaths and injuries Islamic extremist groups, in its statement.The com- Council unanimously ad-
NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — Four came “after intense fight- including al-Qaida in the Is- mandos, who were Green opted a resolution in June
Nigerien soldiers and three ing, during which elements lamic Maghreb, operate in Berets, were likely attacked welcoming the deploy-
U.S. army special opera- of the joint force showed the region and sporadically by al-Qaida in the Islamic ment, but at U.S. insistence
tions commandos were exemplary courage.” launch cross-border raids. Maghreb militants, said it did not include any pos-
killed and others were The statement welcomed Despite the intervention of U.S. officials who spoke on sibility of U.N. financing for
wounded in an attack by “the constant commitment French troops in 2013 that condition of anonymity be- the force.The countries
Islamic extremists on a joint of the American partners in pushed the extremists from cause they were not au- have been pressing the in-
patrol in Niger’s southwest, the fight against terrorism.” their strongholds in northern thorized to discuss the inci- ternational community to
officials said Thursday. Niger’s President Mahama- Mali, they continue attacks. dent publicly. help funding and in equip-
The attack Wednesday dou Issoufou and the U.S. Boko Haram, based south The White House said Presi- ping troops and ensuring
by Mali-based militants Ambassador to Niger Eu- in Nigeria, has also staged dent Donald Trump was their mobility and help with
in Niger’s Tillaberi region nice S. Reddik met before several attacks in Niger notified about the attack logistics, communications
wounded eight Niger sol- Issoufou presided over a near its border. Wednesday night as he and protection in the field.
diers and two U.S. soldiers, meeting of the National Se- U.S. Africa Command said flew aboard Air Force One That force will operate in
according to a statement curity Council made up of the U.S. forces are in Niger from Las Vegas to Washing- the region along with a
by Niger’s Army Chief of senior officers and ministers. to provide training and ton.Mali, Mauritania, Niger, 12,000-strong U.N. peace-
Staff. “Our country is once again security assistance to the Burkina Faso and Chad keeping mission in Mali,
“A joint patrol of the De- the target of a terrorist at- Nigerien Armed Forces in are putting together a which has become the
fense and Security Forces tack, with a large number their efforts against violent 5,000-strong G5 Sahel force deadliest in the world for
and American partners op- of victims,” Niger’s presi- extremists. to fight the growing threat U.N. peacekeepers, and
erating in the border area dent said earlier Thursday. The two wounded U.S. ser- from extremists in the vast France’s 5,000-strong
of Mali fell into an ambush No group has claimed vice members were evacu- Sahel region. The first units Barkhane military opera-
set by terrorist elements responsibility for the at- ated in stable condition to are expected to deploy in tion, its largest overseas
aboard a dozen vehicles tack about 200 kilometers Landstuhl Regional Medi- October and all battalions mission. q