Death Toll in Floods, Mudslides Rises to 750

The death toll from floods and mudslides in the Algerian capital increased to 750, as authorities switched from seeking survivors to finding bodies and cleaning up debris.

Officials in Algiers had previously put the number killed in the disaster at 585, but announced that scores more had been declared dead, raising the toll to 750.

“We could easily go above 1,000 deaths in the next few days,” a civil defense officer said.

The torrential, 36-hour downpour began Friday, triggering a mudslide that ripped through several of the hilly capital’s working-class neighborhoods, collapsing buildings, blocking roads and overturning vehicles.