Steep rise in Haiti storm deaths

The city of Gonaives was devastated by the deadly storm

The number of deaths from floods in Haiti caused by tropical storm Jeanne has risen sharply to 1,970, with 884 still missing, officials say.

They said several hundred more bodies had been found in Haiti's north-western regions, where mudslides were particularly severe.

Officials had previously put the toll at 1,500 dead and about 900 missing.

Meanwhile, three politicians are still in custody being questioned about the death of three policemen, reports say.

Beheading

The Senate president, Yvon Fuille, and two other supporters of ousted President jean-Bertrand Aristide deny involvement in the killing and beheading of the policemen last week.

Violent clashes involving supporters of Mr Aristide rocked the capital of the Caribbean nation, Port-au-Prince, for three days.

The arrests ended an 11-hour standoff in which dozens of police officers surrounded the building of an independent radio station, Radio Caribes FM.

The politicians had just taken part in a show in which they exchanged views with Aristide opponents, allegedly to call for a peaceful solution to the outbreak of violence.

The headless bodies of three police officers were found on Friday, sparking fears that Mr Aristide's most violent supporters might be imitating Iraqi kidnappers.

The policemen are believed to have been killed during violent rallies in support of Mr Aristide's return from his exile in South Africa.

Mr Aristide, who was flown out of the island following a revolt in February, claims he was kidnapped by US agents.

Vulnerability

The violence associated with these events was followed by flash floods in May, which killed more than 2,000 people and left many homeless.

Aid agencies were still dealing with aftermath of that disaster, including large numbers of homeless people, when Tropical Storm Jeanne arrived.

Haiti is particularly vulnerable to the damage wrought by heavy rains.

Intense deforestation has stripped the hills and mountains of trees, so there is nothing to hold back water.

Even small storms can cause major problems.