Woman killed by lightning in Sudan, more heavy rain to come

Heavy rains accompanied by thunder storms on Friday have led to the death of a woman in eastern Sudan’s Singa and the collapse of 46 homes in El Damer in the northern Nile River state.

Speaking to Radio Dabanga, journalist Osman Hashim told Radio Dabanga that a woman died when she was struck by lightning in the Beleil district in Singa, the capital of Sennar, on Friday.

“The weather was very harsh,” he said, pointing to heavy dust storms followed by torrential rains accompanied by thunder and lightning.

The downpours that lasted more than eight hours washed away a 15-metre section of the Khartoum-Port Sudan highway as well. “The authorities of Sinkat locality immediately sent a team to repair the road,” Hashim said.

In the administrative unit of Sidon in northern Sudan’s Ed Damer locality, heavy storms and rains led to the collapse of 46 houses on Friday.

Downpours that started at 7 am today flooded the town of Atbara, a listener reported. The rains reached Khartoum by the afternoon as well.

The source added that substantial rain clouds that reached eastern Sudan from the Indian Ocean on Thursday and Friday are expected to plague the country for at least five days.