15 Mar 2006

Hawaii dam bursts - at least one fatality

3:39 pm on 15 March 2006

One person has been killed and as many as seven others are reported missing after a dam burst on the Hawaiian island of Kauai.

The Kaloko Reservoir dam gave way without warning after days of heavy rain, washing out the island's main coastal highway used by thousands of residents and tourists.

The water sweept away houses in a torrent 150 metres wide.

Search crews recovered an unidentified body.

Helicopters have continued the search for victims in the debris and the floodwaters that ran into the Pacific, three miles from the burst dam.

The weather service issued a flood warning for the entire state of Hawaii, cautioning residents of the threat of flooding.