Algeria announced it will spend 500 million euros (675 million dollars) on protecting towns from flooding as the death toll from floods this month rose to 43 on Sunday.

The minister for water resources, Abdelmalek Sellal, made the announcement as public radio reported the death toll from the recent flooding rose from the previous toll of 34. Eighty-six people were injured, the report said.

Sellal said the new package would include 65 million euros for building dams in regions struck south and west of the capital.

The Ghardaia region, 600 kilometres (373 miles) south of Algiers, was hit by flooding on October 1, and incessant rain flooded the Djemai valley in the Ain Torki region, 120 kilometres west of Algiers on Thursday.

The government had already unblocked 200 million euros for reconstruction of the devastated region.

In initial estimates Tuesday, Algerian Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia said there had been 250 million euros worth of damage, largely to infrastructure, from the flooding.