At least 60 dead, hundreds missing after dam collapses in Sudan

KHARTOUM:

Arbaat Dam in eastern Sudan collapsed on Sunday, causing severe flooding that has killed at least 60 people, with hundreds still missing, a Sudanese official reported on Monday.

Omer Issa Tahir, head of the Red Sea State's Water Corporation, added that the dam burst has devastated villages near Port Sudan, the capital of the state.

He emphasized the urgent need for interventions in the dam area and surrounding villages, highlighting risks such as scorpion and snake bites for those who climbed mountains to escape the water.

"The priority is to evacuate those trapped by the flooding," Tahir said, adding that rescue teams are currently working to reach them.

Local media said the dam collapse, caused by heavy rains, led to intense flooding filled with silt, destroying nearby villages and making rescue efforts difficult.

The dam, located about 20 kilometers north of Port Sudan, had a reservoir with a capacity of 25 million cubic meters and was a major water source for the city.

The UN reports that heavy rains and flooding have affected around 317,000 people across the war-torn country since June. The Sudanese Meteorological Authority expects the rains and flooding to continue until mid-September.

 

Flooding is a recurring problem in Sudan, typically occurring between June and October. Recent severe rains have resulted in significant loss of life and damage to agricultural land.

This year's rainy season has exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, which is already grappling with a deadly conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

Since its beginning on April 15, 2023, the conflict has resulted in the loss of at least 16,650 lives. An estimated 10.7 million people are now internally displaced in Sudan, with approximately 2.2 million others seeking refuge in neighboring countries, according to most recent UN data. Officers made at least 230 arrests on Monday, including 49 for possession of an offensive weapon, on top of scores of arrests the previous day.

Three firearms were seized and 35 officers were also injured during the event, which attracts around a million people annually over the August bank holiday weekend.

The policing numbers were similar to last year, when there were 10 stabbings and around 300 arrests.

Hundreds of thousands of revellers packed the streets of west London for the carnival, filling the Notting Hill neighbourhood and surrounding districts with colour, costumes, dancing and music.

Around 7,000 officers were on duty for the event, which has repeatedly been marred by violence, in particular knife crime, but is enjoyed by the vast majority incident-free.

However, the Met's deputy assistant commissioner Ade Adelekan said he was "tired of saying the same words every year" after a woman attending the carnival with her child was among those stabbed.

"We only very narrowly avoided a fatality," he added, urging carnival-goers to report any crimes they witness.

The celebration of British Afro-Caribbean culture traces its roots back to the 1950s after the first surge in arrivals from former British colonies post-World War II.

Feathered dancers, steel bands and earth-shaking sound systems feature in the vibrant yearly event.