Port Sudan dam collapse kills 13, threatens water supply

August 26, 2024 (PORT SUDAN) – The death toll from a dam collapse in eastern Sudan has risen to 13, officials said on Monday, as rescue teams searched for dozens of missing people and authorities warned the city of Port Sudan could soon run out of water.

The Arbaat dam, which supplies most of Port Sudan’s drinking water, burst on Sunday after heavy rains, sending a torrent of water and mud into nearby villages.

At least 15 villages were flooded and 30 others were partially damaged, witnesses said. More than 170 people were injured.

“Rescue teams have found the bodies of 13 people and the search for dozens of missing people is continuing,” an eyewitness told Sudan Tribune.

The Red Sea State health ministry said seven people had died and 100 families were stranded on the other side of the collapsed dam.

Unverified reports suggest that the floods may have claimed the lives of 132 people. However, the Red Sea state government has not yet released an official statement regarding the total number of casualties since Sunday.

The dam’s collapse has also raised fears of disease outbreaks and water contamination.

“We expect health problems to arise, such as the increase of disease vectors in the Arbaat area, in addition to an increase in cases of diarrhoea and cholera,” said Ahlam Abdel Rasool, the director general of the Red Sea State Health Ministry.

The Sudanese Environmentalists Gathering said the dam’s collapse could leave Port Sudan, home to around half a million people, without drinking water.

“The dam, with its current capacity, covers less than 60% of Port Sudan’s drinking water needs, which is threatened with complete thirst in the coming days,” the group said in a statement.

It called on the authorities to declare a disaster and launch a global appeal for aid.

Sudan has been hit by heavy rains and flooding in recent weeks, affecting more than 300,000 people across the country, according to the United Nations.