Tropical Storm Nate has killed at least 20 people in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Honduras before it moves north towards the US.

A state of emergency has been declared in the Central American nations, where more than 20 people are missing.

In Costa Rica, nearly 400,000 people are without running water and thousands are sleeping in shelters.

At least 11 were killed when it moved north and reached Nicaragua.

Three people have been killed in Honduras and several are reported missing.

Some 5,000 people are sleeping in temporary shelters in Costa Rica.

The storm also caused extensive damage to infrastructure in Nicaragua.

Forecasters say Nate will gain strength and become a category 1 hurricane before it makes landfall on the southern coast of the United States on Sunday.

Source: BBC