Torrential rains sweep through parts of Sudan, leave two dead

A woman and her son were killed, houses collapsed, and dozens of other buildings were damaged by heavy rainfall and ensuing floods in various parts of Sudan over the weekend.

The Civil Defence Department of Sennar reported the death of a woman and one of her sons in Um Kheirein village in northern Sennar on Sunday. They were killed and another son was wounded when the ceiling of the room they were in collapsed.

In a press statement in Singa on Sunday, Police Col. Fathelaleem Abdelrahman, Director of the Sennar Civil Defence Department, also reported that floods cut off the Abu Hajjar-Ed Damazin highway at three places, which led to a complete stop of traffic.

In neighbouring El Gedaref, floods swept through Roweina village in Faw locality on Sunday. In El Tunaydeiba village in the area of Mafaza about 87 houses were damaged by heavy rains on Friday evening.

On Sunday, protesters closed the El Gedaref-Khartoum Road near Faw town, in protest against the lack of safe drinking water after it was contaminated by sewage water.  

More buildings damaged

In Nile River state, torrential rains destroyed 10 houses and damaged 101 other homes in Shendi locality on Saturday.

Thunderstorms and torrents in North Darfur’s ​​Abu Deleik in Kalimendo locality caused the collapse of dozens of houses on Saturday evening.

The omda (native administration leader) of Abu Deleik said in a press statement the next day that strong winds, accompanied by heavy rainfall, damaged ceilings of classrooms and offices in the primary and secondary schools in the area, as well as school books, furniture, and other equipment.

Nile water level

According to the Flood Committee of the Sudanese Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resources, the water level of the Nile River in Khartoum reached 17.06 metres on Sunday, which is about 40 centimetres less than the highest level ever registered (in end August last year) since recording started more than a century ago.

The committee predicted stability of Nile water levels at the El Roseires-Khartoum, Khartoum-Shendi-Atbara and Merowe-Dongola sectors, the Sudan News Agency (SUNA) yesterday reported.