Lightning kills four children in Sudan’s Sennar

A lightning strike in El Dindir in Sennar state has killed four children from the same family. There are fears for the spread of disease via stagnant water in the area.

Authorities announced that 43 villages representing 1,112 homes have collapsed or been washed away after intense thunder storms and heavy rains swelled the already swollen El Dindr river.

Earlier this week, Radio Dabanga reported the collapse of 2,000 houses, the destruction of more than 6,000 acres of agricultural crops, the flooding of large tracts of horticulture and the closure of the eastern road linking the east with the west because of the flooding of El Dindir river.

On Wednesday, a delegation from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Unicef assessed health conditions in the area where people complained of the spread of epidemics and diseases as a result of the accumulation of water in the districts.

Dr Ghazi El Jari, the director of basic health care in Sennar has described the situation as serious that requires urgent intervention.

Residents attempt to limit damage by the flooded El Dindr river by piling sandbags (Picture: RD)