65 killed, 330,000 left homeless in Niger floods

Three months of pounding rain in Niger have left 65 people dead and affected nearly 330,000, while several areas of the capital Niamey remain underwater, the government said.

The ministry of humanitarian action and disaster management told AFP on Tuesday that as of September 7, 51 people had died when their home collapsed in the floods, and 14 had drowned.

The worst-affected regions are Maradi in the central south of the country, Tahoua and Tillaberi in the west, and Dosso in the southwest.

At least 10 of the deaths were in the capital Niamey, where the rain caused the Niger river to breach its banks, municipal authorities said.

Niger is one of the world's driest countries and frequently suffers from spells of drought.

But it also experiences months-long rainy seasons that have in recent years become more severe, consistent with forecasts about climate change.

Flooding last year claimed 57 lives and affected 226,000 people nationwide.