States-size locust swarm invades West Africa

A SWARM of locusts roughly the size of the United States yesterday descended on a West African city yesterday.

Clouds of locusts swarmed the city of Nouakchott in Mauritania, which is twice the size of France, causing traffic accidents as sub-Sahara's biggest plague of the insects in more than a decade swept south from the desert.

Blankets of the insects covered houses, cars and roads. Neighbouring Mali said yesterday the swarms had spread across most of its vast arid territory.