At least 60 fatalities, with hundreds missing after dam collapse in Sudan
A dam collapse in Sudan has resulted in at least 60 fatalities, with hundreds more reported missing. Emergency services are currently engaged in extensive rescue efforts as the affected area grapples with the aftermath of this tragic incident.
TroibNews 
The Arbaat Dam in eastern Sudan collapsed on Sunday, leading to devastating flooding that has claimed at least 60 lives, with hundreds reported missing, according to a Sudanese official on Monday.
Omer Issa Tahir, head of the Red Sea State's Water Corporation, noted that the dam failure has severely impacted villages close to Port Sudan, the state's capital. He stressed the urgent need for intervention in the area surrounding the dam, pointing out the dangers posed by scorpion and snake bites for individuals who sought refuge in the mountains to evade the rising waters.
"The priority is to evacuate those trapped by the flooding," Tahir stated, adding that rescue teams are actively working to reach those in need.
Reports from local media indicate that the dam's collapse, triggered by heavy rainfall, resulted in extensive flooding laden with silt, obliterating nearby villages and complicating rescue operations.
Located approximately 20 kilometers north of Port Sudan, the dam had a reservoir with a capacity of 25 million cubic meters and served as a significant water source for the city.
The United Nations has indicated that heavy rains and subsequent flooding have impacted around 317,000 people in the war-torn nation since June. The Sudanese Meteorological Authority anticipates that the rainfall and flooding will persist until mid-September.
Flooding poses a recurrent challenge in Sudan, usually occurring between June and October. This year's severe rains have led to a tragic loss of life and considerable destruction of agricultural land.
The ongoing rainy season has worsened the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, which is already reeling from a violent conflict involving the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
Since the onset of this conflict on April 15, 2023, there have been at least 16,650 fatalities. Current UN data estimates that around 10.7 million people are internally displaced within Sudan, with about 2.2 million seeking refuge in neighboring nations.
(Cover: Sudanese people cross a damaged road after the collapse of the Arbaat Dam following heavy rains and torrential floods in eastern Sudan, August 25, 2024. /CFP)
Thomas Evans contributed to this report for TROIB News
Omer Issa Tahir, head of the Red Sea State's Water Corporation, noted that the dam failure has severely impacted villages close to Port Sudan, the state's capital. He stressed the urgent need for intervention in the area surrounding the dam, pointing out the dangers posed by scorpion and snake bites for individuals who sought refuge in the mountains to evade the rising waters.
"The priority is to evacuate those trapped by the flooding," Tahir stated, adding that rescue teams are actively working to reach those in need.
Reports from local media indicate that the dam's collapse, triggered by heavy rainfall, resulted in extensive flooding laden with silt, obliterating nearby villages and complicating rescue operations.
Located approximately 20 kilometers north of Port Sudan, the dam had a reservoir with a capacity of 25 million cubic meters and served as a significant water source for the city.
The United Nations has indicated that heavy rains and subsequent flooding have impacted around 317,000 people in the war-torn nation since June. The Sudanese Meteorological Authority anticipates that the rainfall and flooding will persist until mid-September.
Flooding poses a recurrent challenge in Sudan, usually occurring between June and October. This year's severe rains have led to a tragic loss of life and considerable destruction of agricultural land.
The ongoing rainy season has worsened the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, which is already reeling from a violent conflict involving the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
Since the onset of this conflict on April 15, 2023, there have been at least 16,650 fatalities. Current UN data estimates that around 10.7 million people are internally displaced within Sudan, with about 2.2 million seeking refuge in neighboring nations.
(Cover: Sudanese people cross a damaged road after the collapse of the Arbaat Dam following heavy rains and torrential floods in eastern Sudan, August 25, 2024. /CFP)
Thomas Evans contributed to this report for TROIB News
