Hundreds perish in massive landslide

Entire mountainside swallows large swath of village in Afghanistan.

A devastating landslide stuck the remote province of Badakhshan, Afghanistan today, killing at least 350 people while displacing hundreds more; an estimated 1,000 homes where affected, driving fears that the death toll could rise to 2,500 in the days ahead.

"[Recovery efforts are] physically impossible right now. We don't have enough shovels; we need more machinery."
- Shah Waliullah Adeeb - Provincial Governor

The tragedy occurred on a Friday, the weekly 'day of rest' for Muslims, virtually assuring everyone living in the affected area was home when it transpired; due to the rugged and remote nature of the region, relief agencies fear there simply will not be anything that can be done to rescue survivors trapped in the rubble, nor provide timely assistance for displaced families.

Winter avalanches, spring floods & landslides. Where's disaster preparedness? MT @AhMukhtar: 2,500 killed in Badakhshan landslide: governor.
— Ahmad Shuja احمدشجاع (@AhmadShuja) May 2, 2014

Northern Afghanistan has been subjected to torrential rains over the last few days, with at least 150 people perishing due to flash flooding; earth-changes have adversely impacted all of southeast Asia since 2005, with abnormal rains combining with increased seismic activity to cause the severity and frequency of deadly landslides to rise dramatically.

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