ALGERIA, October 2, 2008 (KUNA) - Algerian authorities announced Thursday the high death toll from floods that swept through the province of Ghardaia (650 km south of Algiers) to be 30 dead and 50 wounded, including two in critical condition. The governor of the province said in a press conference today that eight districts out of 13 in the province have been damaged by heavy rains that have not stopped pouring since last Tuesday, noting that serious damage has occurred to more than 600 houses in the region. The Algerian authorities have hastened to send 400 tons of food and 200,000 blankets and more than a thousand tents, generators and a makeshift water-treatment plant for the production of potable water. The Algerian army has intervened to rescue flood victims and search for the missing as a result of the disaster. Civil defense units have also participated in rescue operations. The Algerian government has held an emergency meeting chaired by Prime Minister Ahmad Ouyahia to discuss the situation and decided to name the Ghardaia region a "disaster area" and to put in place a plan to ensure the safety of all families and their properties.