August 13, 2024 (Abu Hamad) – The death toll from flooding in Sudan’s northern city of Abu Hamad has risen to 35, with a student electrocuted to death on Tuesday, residents and officials said, deepening the humanitarian crisis in the gold mining hub.

Heavy rains caused extensive damage to the city, with residents reporting that more than 35,000 houses were fully or partially destroyed. Government sources confirmed that at least 11,500 houses had collapsed.

The floods also swept mining waste into the city, raising concerns about contamination and further health risks, a health expert and residents told local media.

The number of injured has risen to 588, some of whom are in critical condition, and medical relief supplies are difficult to deliver to the affected areas.

“The situation is very bad. We have lost our homes, our livelihoods and now we are facing an outbreak of disease,” one resident told Sudan Tribune.

The Sudanese government has declared a state of emergency in Nile State and called for international assistance.