Intense rioting and looting broke out in Khartoum, Sudan, after Monday's official announcement that the country's vice president, John Garang, had been killed in a helicopter crash.

"I've been in contact with the church's regional office in Khartoum all morning and things are not good," says Michael Porter, president of the Adventist Church in the Middle East region.

He adds that most of the students from the elementary self-help school, located in the same compound as the church offices, have been sent home or were afraid to come to school following the announcement. Only a few students and one or two teachers were still stranded at the school by the afternoon, unable to risk the journey home because of the unrest.

Pastor John Bullock, administrator for the Adventist Church in Northern Sudan, reports that many buildings have been destroyed, glass broken, and cars burned and turned upside down. The riot and military police are working to restore order.

"A curfew was called by officials, so that should help in securing and maintaining order," says Porter. "In the meantime, we are ... implementing established crisis procedures designed to protect lives."

"I just don't want the people to lose hope," says Debbie Bullock, originally from Canada, who arrived in Khartoum with her husband John just a few weeks ago. The rioting is another in a series of unfortunate events in the past few weeks. The area has recently experienced two haboubs -- blinding dust storms that leave a thick layer of red dust -- as well as a torrential rainstorm.

The protestant mainstream Seventh-day Adventist Church has about 9,000 adult baptised member in the Sudan. [Alex Elmadjian and Christian B. Schaeffler for ANN/APD]