A dam that burst in eastern Sudan amid heavy rains led to the destruction of about 20 villages and at least 30 deaths, local authorities said on Monday.
The Arbaat Dam, which lies 40 kilometers (roughly 25 miles) north of Port Sudan, suffered severe damage during torrential rains. It was the main source of water for the city, which has a port and airport. Aid deliveries to Sudan are for the most part sent there.
"The area is unrecognizable. The electricity and water pipes are destroyed," Omar Eissa Haroun, head of the water authority for Red Sea state, said in a message to his staff.
Hundreds in need of aid
A UN report released early Tuesday said a government delegation at the site reported the homes of about 50,000 people had been affected by the incident, and they were in need of water, food and shelter.
"The city is threatened with thirst in the coming days," the Sudanese Environmentalists Association said in a statement.
An emergency worker said around 150-200 people were missing, comparing it to the disaster in Libya's Derna city last year where storms had caused several dams to burst, killing thousands.
A reporter from Reuters news agency saw the burial of a man, with people covering his grave with driftwood to prevent it from being washed away.
