Death toll in Caribbean storms climbs to 500

The death toll from the floods that swept across the Caribbean island of Hispaniola – where Haiti and the Dominican Republic lie – rose to more than 500 today.

The Haitian government said more than 200 bodies were found near the Dominican border. In addition to the dead, 158 were missing in the town of Fond Verette.

Just across the border, more than 300 bodies were found in the Dominican town of Jimani.

Troops from a US-led multinational force, sent to stabilise Haiti after President Jean-Bertrand Aristide was ousted in February, returned to the worst affected Haitian towns today, ferrying bottles of drinking water, medical supplies and food.

Across the border, Dominican soldiers searched for more flood victims, burying corpses quickly and explaining to families that not all bodies could wait to be identified.

At least 363 were dead and hundreds were still missing.

Using dogs and shovels, about 100 soldiers helped search for remaining victims. Families in Jimani were given forms asking them to list missing family members.

Trucks dumped more than 100 bodies into a mass grave outside