Sudan Landslide Kills at Least 1,000 People, Rebel Group Says

More than 1,000 people were killed in a landslide in western Sudan on Sunday, according to a rebel group that controls the area. The landslide, which followed heavy rain, destroyed a village in the Marra mountains area of western Sudan and left only one survivor, said the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM). “Initial information indicates the death of all village residents, estimated to be more than 1,000 individuals, with only one survivor,” its statement said. The movement, which controls the area located in the Darfur region, appealed to the UN and international aid agencies to help recover the bodies of victims. The village “has now been completely levelled to the ground”, the statement said. Footage shared by the Marra Mountains news outlet showed a flattened area between mountain ranges and a group of people searching the area. … The Marra Mountains area has turned into a hub for displaced families fleeing fighting in and around El Fasher. The SLM has mostly stayed out of the fighting but controls parts of Sudan’s tallest mountain range. … Much of Darfur – including the area where the landslide occurred – remains largely inaccessible to international aid organisations because of ongoing fighting, severely limiting the delivery of urgent humanitarian assistance. (Guardian)