Heavy Rains Kill 6, Displace 450 Families in Abidjan

A heavy downpour has killed six people and displaced 450 families in the Ivorian capital, Abidjan. Eyewitnesses say the rains pounded the city all day Thursday, flooding houses to destruction and trapping some residents in rubble before drowning them. The Ivorian government has blamed the catastrophe on substandard construction of human dwellings and drainage systems, as meteorologists warned that the West African region is likely to experience even higher rainfall levels in the course of the year. [PE]