Heavy rain kills 52 in Sudan

KHARTOUM, Aug. 14 — At least 52 people were killed and 25 injured during the torrential downpours across Sudan, authorities said Sunday.
Among the victims were 19 reported in the North Kordofan State in central Sudan, the National Council for Civil Defense said on its website.
Meanwhile, 219 hectares of agricultural land were flooded, 5,345 homes were destroyed and 2,862 were damaged during the current rainy season across the country, according to the council.
The River Nile State in the north was among the most severely affected, with a total of 2,732 houses destroyed and about 690 damaged, it added.
The council’s spokesman Abdul-Jalil Abdul-Rahim urged citizens to stop construction works near rivers or on streams and follow official instructions.
Meanwhile, the Sudanese Police Civil Defense said convoys carrying accommodating materials, including tents blankets and water pumps, have been sent to the River Nile State and affected states in western Sudan.
Warning of more heavy rainfall in vast swathes of Sudan this week as cumulus clouds are moving from the Ethiopian plateau in the east, Awad Ibrahim, a local meteorologist, urges people to take precautions.
Sudan often witnesses floods caused by heavy rains from June to October.  (Xinhua)