UN says floods, heavy rainfall in Sudan kill 78 people

CAIRO – A U.N. humanitarian agency says flooding triggered by heavy rains in Sudan have killed a total of 78 people across the country in the past two months.

Mary Keller, head of monitoring and reporting at the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, tells that The Associated Press on Saturday the deaths were mainly because of collapsed roofs and electrocution.

She says that over 41,000 homes have been destroyed, and that the floods have affected 346,300 people in 16 of Sudan’s 18 provinces.

She has warned that the death toll may increase due to the high risk of waterborne illnesses.

Authorities have said in August that more than 3,600 cattle died as large swathes of agricultural land flooded.