According to BBC, the landslide occurred on Sunday and has left the Tarseen area, consisting of five villages, in a state of devastation. Francesco Lanino, the deputy Sudan director for programmes and operations at Save the Children, highlighted the dire situation, noting that people are forced to excavate with their hands to rescue the bodies of their relatives. The national health ministry has reported the recovery of only two bodies, while an armed group that controls the area claims the death toll could be as high as 1,000.
The remoteness of the area has made it difficult to independently verify the impact of the landslide. However, through satellite imagery analysis, BBC Verify was able to identify nine buildings and structures that were destroyed in the disaster. Aid workers from Save the Children faced a grueling six-hour journey over nearly 14 miles (22km) of rocky and muddy terrain to reach the affected area. They had to travel by donkey to deliver the first batch of humanitarian supplies to survivors.
The rescue efforts have been further complicated by the ongoing civil war in Sudan, as noted by another aid group, World Vision. The conflict between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the army has plunged Sudan into a humanitarian crisis. Last year, a US official estimated that up to 150,000 people had died since hostilities began in 2023, and twelve million people have fled their homes.