Villagers in a remote area of Sudan's western Darfur region are trying to reach buried victims by hand after a devastating landslide on Sunday, aid group Save the Children says.
People are excavating by hand to rescue the bodies of their relatives since there are no tools or machinery, Francesco Lanino, Save the Children's deputy Sudan director for programmes and operations, said.
It is unclear how many people died. Figures range from as high as 1,000 from an armed group in charge of the area, to a figure from the national health ministry that says only two bodies have been recovered.
Save the Children said at least 373 bodies had been recovered, according to the head of the Civil Authority.
Mr. Lanino said, 1,000 lives may have been lost, including an estimated 200 children. The scene has been described as one of destruction and devastation after the landslide, which resulted from heavy rainfall, with teams on site labeling it as one of the most tragic and large-scale disasters in the region's history.
In the impacted Tarseen area, where five villages are located, reports mention only one known survivor in the worst-hit village.
Verifying the impact of the landslide has been challenging due to the area's remoteness. Nonetheless, satellite imagery analysis showed nine buildings and structures that were washed away in the disaster.
It took Save the Children aid workers over six hours to navigate nearly 14 miles (22 km) of rocky, muddy terrain to reach the disaster area and deliver humanitarian supplies. The ongoing civil war in Sudan complicates rescue efforts, with additional challenges posed by fighting between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the army.
As the conflict continues, a U.S. official estimated that up to 150,000 people have been killed since hostilities began in 2023, with 12 million people displaced from their homes.
