Dozens of people have been reported killed after a dam collapsed in northeastern Sudan, as the country deals with heavy rainfall leading to disastrous floodwaters.

The Federal Ministry of Health initially said in a statement on late on Sunday that the Arbaat Dam north of Port Sudan had collapsed, killing four people in the floodwaters and sweeping away homes.

Many more are reported to be missing, with the UN saying that 20 villages had been destroyed, and the homes of 50,000 destroyed or damaged.