At least 1,000 people are feared dead in war-torn Sudan following a catastrophic landslide which has wiped out an entire village.

The disaster struck in the settlement in Tarasin following torrential downpours in late August. Days of heavy rain loosened the soil, triggering the collapse of the slopes of the Marrah Mountains.

On Sunday, families who had sought refuge after leaving their homes due to the on-going war between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, were crushed to death.

The landslide has rocked Sudan (

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Sudan Liberation Movement leader Abdelwahid Mohamed Nour made an urgent appeal to the United Nations and international aid agencies for their help to recover the bodies.

He said: “Initial information indicates the death of all village residents, estimated to be more than one thousand people. Only one person survived."

The village was "completely levelled to the ground," the group declared, following one of Sudan's deadliest natural disasters in recent memory. Darfur's governor described the situation a "humanitarian tragedy".

Video footage released by the Marrah Mountains news outlet revealed a flattened expanse between mountain ridges, with rescue teams scouring the devastated area.

The events unfolds against the backdrop of a brutal civil war that has dominated Sudan since hostilities between the nation's military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces erupted into full-scale combat in April 2023, beginning in the capital Khartoum before spreading nationwide.

Torrential rain caused the slopes of the Marrah Mountains to collapse (

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The Sudan Liberation Movement-Army, based in the Marrah Mountains region, is one of several rebel factions operating in the Darfur and Kordofan areas. It has remained neutral in the conflict.

The Marrah Mountains, a rugged volcanic range stretching 160 kilometres (100 miles) southwest of el-Fasher, have become a hotspot for displaced families escaping the clashes in and around el-Fasher. This area is a key battleground between the military and the RSF.

The conflict has claimed over 40,000 lives, driven more than 14 million people dispalced from their homes and led to some families resorting to eating grass as famine ravages parts of the nation, report the DailyStar.

The landslide came just hours after a huge earthquake struck in Afghanistan, killing over 800 people. The disaster comes as the nation battles against severe drought, aid cuts and an "unprecedented hunger crisis".

"Entire villages are flattened, roads to deep mountainous areas are still closed. So now, for us, the priority is not finding dead under the rubble, but rather reaching out to those injured," a Taliban official in Kunar province said.