Wall Crushes Homes in Nicaragua After Heavy Rain

A Nicaragua government official says nine people have died when a wall collapsed in heavy rains, crushing five homes in the capital city of Managua.

Managua Secretary General Fidel Moreno says the collapse happened in an hour of heavy rain that hit Thursday night, causing flooding and general destruction.

The urban slide brought the death toll from two weeks of storms to 18, officials said Friday.

Moreno said 16 people were in the homes and that Humanitarian Rescue Unit was able to take seven out alive. He said 52 people living near the collapsed wall had been evacuated and that evacuations will continue.

Government spokeswoman Rosario Murrillo said the rains have affected 12 states in the country and more than 25,000 people.