Natural Disaster - Landslide In Afghanistan Leaves Hundreds Dead And Thousands Missing

Major landslide in Afghanistan has claimed lives of at hundreds and left more than 2,000 people are feared dead as they are still said to be missing or trapped in debris, USA Today reported quoting the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan.


Triggered by heavy rain, the side of a mountain collapsed into the village at the Hobo Bank in Agro district in Badakhshan province of Afghanistan on Friday at around 11 a.m. (2.30 a.m. ET) as people were trying to recover their belongings and livestock after a smaller landslip hit their homes a few hours earlier. Hundreds of mudbrick homes were crushed and hundreds more damaged.

"There were more than 1,000 families living in that village. A total of 2,100 people - men, women and children - are trapped," Naweed Forotan, a spokesman for the Badakhshan provincial governor, told Reuters."As the part of the mountain which collapsed is so big, we don't believe anyone would survive. The government and locals from surrounding villagers are helping with the rescue, and so far they have recovered more then a hundred bodies." However, at least 100 people were being treated for injuries, according to Colonel Abdul Qadeer Sayad, a deputy police chief of Badakhshan, which borders Tajikistan.

According to the Khaama Press (Afghan News Agency), Afghan secuirty forces and rescue teams have been deployed to the area to assist the local residents.However, rescue efforts have been hampered by difficult conditions due to a week of heavy rain. Seasonal rains and spring snow melt have caused heavy destruction across large swathes of northern Afghanistan, killing more than 100 people.

 "Due to the size of the landslide, it is impossible to search for bodies without advanced machinery," Col. Sayad said, "We hope to get some machinery and aid soon tomorrow."A U.N. representative in Kabul said roads to the village were open but passage was not suitable for heavy machinery.

US President Barack Obama has offered condolence to victims of Badakhshan landslides.

According to the national disaster management authority, flash floods in northern Afghanistan had claimed lives more than 100 people five days ago.



References :

• http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/

• http://www.disaster-report.com/2014

• http://usciencecompendium.blogspot.com/2014