Six people have been killed ad another five injured in a landslide at a quarry in Omdurman (Umm Durman) in Khartoum State, Sudan on Tuesday 8 October 2013. It is understood that the quarry was artisanal in nature, with people excavating limestone on a small scale for their own needs as a building material rather than being managed by a governing corporation. Most landslides are the result of excess rainfall, as excess pore water pressure can overcome cohesion in soil and sediments, allowing them to flow like liquids, however on this occasion it is not thought to have been a factor. Local authorities had apparently previously determined that the site was becoming unstable due to unplanned excavation of rock, and had advised against further quarrying at the site.
The approximate location of the 8 October 2013 Omdurman quarry landslide. Google Maps.
Omdurman is the largest city in Sudan, lying on the west bank of the Nile, opposite the capitol, Khartoum, on the east. The quarrying of limestone and granite is an ancient industry here, local quarries having supplied the monuments of ancient Nubia, and to some extent Egypt.
See also At least fifteen dead following landslide in Freetown, Sierra Leone, Four year old boy killed by landslide in Bududa District, eastern Uganda, Two workers killed in landslide at Bihar quarry, Three workers killed in landslide at Mumbai quarry and Three workers killed in rockfall at Thai limestone quarry.
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