Chad issues warning ahead of more devastating floods

N Djamena: Chad s government on Wednesday called on the public to help tackle deadly flooding brought on by torrential rains and rising water in the r...

N'Djamena: Chad's government on Wednesday called on the public to help tackle deadly flooding brought on by torrential rains and rising water in the river Chari, which cuts through the capital N'Djamena.

Since July, floods have killed 576 people and affected more than 1.9 million, according to the latest figures from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) this month -- more than 10 percent of the Central African nation's population.

The waters of the Chari, which join the tributary Logone in N'Djamena "keep rising" and on Wednesday reached a record 8.18 metres, said Prime Minister Allah-Maye Halina at an emergency meeting attended by army general staff.

While soldiers had already been deployed to construct dams and barriers with sacks of earth to slow the spread of the water toward residential areas, Halina called on businesses to "mobilise their machinery" and build embankments.

"Every minute is precious," he warned.