Uruguay floods kill nine

At least nine people have been killed and 7,920 displaced in floods caused by severe storms that hit most parts of Uruguay.

The heavy rains, which started last week, caused "an important increase in river and stream flows", Xinhua news agency quoted the National Emergency System as saying.

The worst affected department was Colonia in the southeast with 3,000 people displaced, followed by San Jose in the south with 1,250, Durazno in the south with 1,097 and Treinta y Tres in the east with 661.