140 dead from waterborne diseases

Some 140 people have died in the past month following outbreaks of waterborne diseases, especially diarrhoea, in the Nile River state of northern Sudan, the BBC quoted Sudanese health ministry officials as saying. Over 1,300 people have been infected since the rains started in June, although the total number of people infected throughout the country stands at 6,500. Health officials said last year's floods destroyed many of the water networks in the state, and with the start of the current rainy season, sewage water has been mixing with clean water in wells and other water facilities. The authorities in Nile River have closed down many of the water wells in the state in an attempt to halt the spread of the disease, the BBC reported.