Death toll from heavy rains in Sudan rises to 53

KHARTOUM, Sudan 

The death toll from the heavy rains, which have hit many Sudanese states, has climbed to 53, Sudan's Health Ministry said on Saturday.

"A total of 208 injuries have been recorded, including 53 deaths, while 9,777 families were affected," the ministry's Autumn Emergency Room said in a statement.

Nine states were affected, while more than 2,000 houses completely collapsed, and over 4,000 houses partially collapsed, it said.

The room added that 25 new cases of acute watery diarrhea were recorded on Friday, bringing the total cases to 192 in three states, including Kassala, Khartoum, and Gezira.

Flooding, a yearly occurrence in Sudan, typically happens between June and October. Over the past three years, heavy rains have claimed hundreds of lives and destroyed vast swathes of agricultural land.