A major failure at the Merowe Dam power station has plunged large parts of Sudan into darkness after a fire damaged cables and key components of the national electricity grid.

The blackout affected River Nile, Red Sea and Northern states, as well as large parts of the capital, Khartoum. It also raised fears that hospitals, water stations and other essential services could be forced out of operation.

The disruption comes as parts of Sudan endure extreme heat, with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius in some areas. The conditions have intensified the hardship facing residents already accustomed to lengthy daily power cuts.

Sudan’s Ministry of Energy and Petroleum said on Sunday that a fire had damaged cables at the Merowe Dam power station, causing extensive damage to the main feeder lines serving Merowe, Atbara and Al-Murkhiyat.

An initial technical assessment found that repairs would take several days before electricity could be fully restored to the affected states, according to the ministry.

Energy and Petroleum Minister Al-Mutasim Ibrahim ordered technical teams to secure the necessary spare parts and accelerate repairs. He also instructed officials to arrange alternative supplies from other power stations and redistribute the electricity still available through the national grid.

Authorities have not announced the cause of the fire, saying an investigation remains underway.

The ministry initially described the incident on Saturday as a limited fire that had been brought under control by civil defence and technical teams. The scale of the subsequent blackout, however, indicated that the damage was more serious than the early statements suggested.

As night fell, darkness covered large areas of the country and public anger grew. Residents accused the government of failing to address the electricity crisis or protect the country’s fragile power infrastructure.

Some Sudanese social media users called for the immediate dismissal of the energy minister, arguing that the latest failure exposed the absence of reliable alternatives whenever the Merowe facility goes offline.

In Red Sea State, hundreds of protesters blocked the main road leading toward Khartoum. Residents in parts of the coastal state have reportedly been struggling with electricity outages for more than two weeks.

Merowe Dam is Sudan’s largest source of hydroelectric power. Any serious failure at the facility or along its transmission network can therefore trigger outages across several states.

Sudan’s electricity system has deteriorated sharply since the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces began in April 2023. Power stations, substations and transmission infrastructure have repeatedly been damaged or attacked during the conflict.

Even before the latest fire, electricity cuts in several areas lasted between 10 and 12 hours a day. Residents and businesses with sufficient resources have increasingly turned to private solar systems to meet basic needs.

This is the third major collapse involving the Merowe electricity network since the beginning of the war. The power station and infrastructure connected to it have also been targeted by drones on several occasions.

The consequences extend far beyond household lighting. Water stations, hospitals, bakeries and communication networks all depend on electricity, meaning a prolonged outage could quickly develop into a wider humanitarian emergency.

Omdurman is already experiencing a severe shortage of drinking water after supplies stopped in several neighbourhoods. Residents fear the crisis will spread if repairs are delayed or alternative electricity sources cannot be secured.

The ministry says power will gradually return after several days of repairs. Until then, millions of Sudanese remain dependent on a grid weakened by war and vulnerable to collapse with every fire, attack or major technical failure.