More than 30 dead after houses set on fire in Madagascar - police

A group of presumed cattle thieves killed at least 32 people by setting fire to the buildings they were in, according to police in Madagascar.

The victims were herded into two houses during the attack on Friday, near the community of Ambolotarakely, about 100 kilometres north of the island's capital, Antananarivo.

Police said on Saturday that they were looking for the culprits. They say they assume the killings were an act of revenge for some previous wrong.

Residents and criminal gangs often engage in violence towards one another, often sparked by cattle theft.