Khartoum, Aug 20 (IANS): Sudanese authorities announced that 43 people have been killed by the torrential rains and floods which recently hit the country.

"A total of 43 people have been killed and thousands of homes collapsed," Abdul-Jaleel Abdul-Rahim, spokesman of Sudan's National Council for Civil Defense, said in a statement on THursday.

As many as 2,838 homes have completely collapsed, while 8,621 others were partially damaged, he added.

He pointed out that there was a noticeable decline in the levels of the Nile River, urging the citizens of the southern part of the country to be cautious amid expectations of heavy rains during the next phase of the rainy season, reports Xinhua news agency.

On Wednesday, the UN's humanitarian agency OCHA said some 12,000 people in eight out of the country's 18 states had been affected by the heavy rains.

Sudan often witnesses floods caused by heavy rains from June to October.

Floods killed last year 138 people and destroyed tens of thousands of homes in Sudan.