Darfur, Sudan — A catastrophic landslide struck Tarasin Village in Sudan’s Central Darfur on Sunday, August 31, killing more than 1,000 people, according to the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM-A), the rebel group controlling the area.
The SLM-A said the tragedy was triggered by days of torrential rainfall that “completely leveled the village to the ground.” The group claimed that all residents perished except one survivor, describing the disaster as one of the deadliest in Sudan’s modern history.
RELATED NEWS : Death Toll Surpasses 800 as Earthquake Devastates Eastern Afghanistan, 300 injured
“Initial information indicates the death of all village residents, estimated to be more than one thousand people. Only one person survived,” the group said in a statement.
The death toll could not be independently verified due to limited access to the conflict-hit Marrah Mountains region. The SLM-A has called on the United Nations and international aid agencies to help recover bodies and provide urgent humanitarian assistance.
Footage shared by the Marrah Mountains news outlet showed a flattened settlement between mountain ranges as residents searched desperately through the debris.
The village of Tarasin, located in the volcanic Marrah Mountains southwest of El-Fasher, had become a refuge for families fleeing violence in North Darfur. According to earlier reports, many displaced people settled there after being forced from their homes by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The disaster comes as Sudan remains mired in a devastating civil war between the Sudanese military and the RSF, which erupted in April 2023. Fighting has killed more than 40,000 people, displaced over 14 million, and pushed parts of the country to the brink of famine. The Darfur region, including the Marrah Mountains, has been largely inaccessible to aid organizations because of ongoing conflict and restrictions.
The International Criminal Court is investigating alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity amid reports of ethnically motivated killings and atrocities across Darfur.
Sunday’s landslide is among the deadliest natural disasters in Sudan’s recent history. Seasonal rains between July and October often wreak havoc, with floods and landslides killing hundreds each year. In 2023, heavy rains caused a dam collapse in the eastern Red Sea Province, killing at least 30 people.
SOURCE : AGENCIES | Follow Us: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube |
