Floods kill eight, displace 60,000 in Cameroon's Far North region

Yaounde: Weeks of torrential rains have devastated parts of Cameroon's Far North region, killing eight people and displacing 60,000 more, an official said Tuesday.

Jean Lazare Ndongo Ndongo, the prefect of the Mayo-Danay division, said the division has been the hardest hit, with 60,000 people affected by the floods triggered by the heavy rains. The floods have also destroyed crops, delayed harvests, and resulted in the collapse of 12,000 houses, he said.

"At this level of evaluation, we have already lost eight persons. We have 4,000 hectares (of agricultural land) destroyed," Ndongo said, adding that "the evaluation is still going because heavy rains (are continuing). We have relocation sites (for those affected). We need some items to help those who are in need."

Humanitarian workers said that those evacuated from their homes "are in dire need" of shelter, food, and clothing, Xinhua news agency reported.

Cameroon's meteorological center has warned of "continuing turbulent weather," warning that heavy rains accompanied by strong winds may persist in the region, where torrential downpours have previously led to devastating consequences.