Melissa death toll at 43

HAITI'S government has said the death toll from Hurricane Melissa has risen to 43 - with 13 other people still missing.

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Rescue crews were still trying to reach people in the country's southwest region, where landslides and floodwaters devastated more than 30 communities. At least 25 deaths occurred in the coastal town of Petit-Goave, one of the hardest-hit communities.

The Category 5 storm, one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record, flooded nearly 12,000 homes and destroyed nearly 200 others after its outer bands battered Haiti last week. Numerous roads still remain inaccessible.