A devastating landslide struck Tarasin Village in Sudan’s Central Darfur on Sunday, Aug. 31, killing at least 1,000 people, according to a rebel group controlling the area.
The Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM-A) said the horrific incident was triggered by days of torrential rainfall in late August and has “completely leveled the village to the ground.”
“Initial information indicates the death of all village residents, estimated to be more than one thousand people. Only one person survived,” the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army said in a statement.
The figures cannot be independently verified at this time due to restricted access to the conflict-hit region, but if confirmed it would rank among Sudan’s deadliest natural disasters in recent history.
Darfur’s governor, Minni Minnawi, called the landslide a “humanitarian tragedy.”
The group is calling for help from the UN and international aid agencies for assistance in recovering bodies and responding to the disaster.
According to earlier reports from the BBC, many residents from North Darfur state sought refuge in the area after the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces forced them out of their homes.
