Rare rains hit Algeria by Kirsty McCabe
Rare torrential rains on the edge of the Algerian desert have killed at least 30 people and injured 50, while damaging hundreds of homes, officials said Thursday.
Algeria's Interior Minister Noureddine Yazid Zerhouni said the floods are the worst for a century and warned of higher casualties in Ghardaia, some 375 miles (600 kilometres) south of Algiers in the M'Zab Valley, a UN World Heritage site.
Rain has been falling in the region since Monday. Several other areas in Algeria were also lashed by heavy rain over two days, including Djelfa - midway between Ghardaia and Algiers.
Algeria is no stranger to bad weather, flooding in the Algiers region in 2001 killed more than 800 people and caused considerable damage.
After a brief respite on Thursday, further rain could fall on Friday, but the bad weather should clear on Saturday.
