Cairo: Heavy rains have caused havoc in Sudan. Sudan’s Health Ministry has said that a dam has broken due to heavy rains in the ‘Eastern Red Sea’ state, in which many people are reported dead and missing. The Health Ministry has given this information. The Health Ministry issued a statement saying that the Arbat dam had broken after heavy rains. The situation is dire and other resources including police force have been deployed in the area to help the trapped people.
Different figures
The Health Ministry statement said that at least four people have died in the flood caused by the dam break, but it was not told how many people are missing. However, a local official told Sudanese news website Al-Tagir that he believes at least 60 people have died and many others are missing. Amar Isa Tahir, the chief irrigation officer of the Red Sea state, said that the damage due to the dam break has been very high.
More than 100 people are missing
Sudanese news agency ‘Medamik’, citing the country’s air force, reported that more than 100 people are missing, and many other villagers have moved to the hilltops to escape the rising waters. The dam is 40 kilometers north of the city of Port Sudan. The reservoir created by the Arbat Dam used to provide drinking water to the city. Sudan’s dams help manage seasonal flood waters. Two upper branches of the Nile River meet in the country. According to local media reports, the dam broke on Saturday night due to heavy rains. Information gathering in the area has become difficult due to disruption of mobile networks.
Rain havoc
Floods occur every year in Sudan. Usually from June to the month of October, rain becomes a big trouble for the people. Heavy rains have killed hundreds of people and destroyed large swathes of agricultural land in the last three years. This year’s rainy season has further aggravated the humanitarian crisis in Sudan.
