ISTANBUL: More than 1,000 people lost their lives in a landslide triggered by heavy rains in a village in the Central Darfur State of western Sudan, an armed group said, Anadolu Ajansi reported.
The Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A), the group that controls the area, said in a statement that the entire population of Tarsin village in the Marra Mountains was killed on Aug 31, after heavy rains caused the landslide.
Only one person survived the disaster, the group said, adding that the village’s renowned citrus orchards were destroyed.
It called on the international organisations and the United Nations to assist in the recovery of the bodies from under the ground.
In a statement, Darfur regional Governor Minni Arko Minnawi described the incident as “a humanitarian tragedy that exceeds the borders of the region,” and appealed to international humanitarian organisations “to intervene urgently to provide support and assistance at this critical moment, as the tragedy is beyond the capacity of our people.”
There was no confirmation from the Sudanese government as of Tuesday morning.
SLM/A is a political and military movement operating in some parts of the Central Darfur state, which is under the control of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
The natural disaster came amid a raging war between the army and the RSF, which has killed more than 20,000 people and displaced 14 million since April 2023, according to the UN and local authorities.
Research from US universities, however, estimates the death toll at around 130,000.
– Bernama-Anadolu
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
