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In Afghanistan, Families Keep Searching For Landslide Victims

Published May 5, 2014 at 1:40 PM EDT
The mud and rocks of the landslide are pictured in this aerial view of Aab Bareek village at Argo district in Badakhshan province on May 5, 2014. (Wakil Kohsar/AFP/Getty Images)
The mud and rocks of the landslide are pictured in this aerial view of Aab Bareek village at Argo district in Badakhshan province on May 5, 2014. (Wakil Kohsar/AFP/Getty Images)

In in Badakhshan province, a very remote area of northern Afghanistan, people are still digging to try to find members of their families who have been missing since a massive landslide on Friday. The formal search for survivors ended Saturday.

At least 2,000 people were in their homes when a landslide covered the area in mud and rocks. Hundreds more are also missing after rushing to help with the rescue effort. They were caught in a second landslide.

The landslides were probably triggered by heavy rains that have fallen across Afghanistan in recent weeks. It was such a huge amount of earth, officials say it will be impossible to bring up all the bodies.

The BBC’s David Loyn reports on how the survivors are faring.

Note: This segment can be heard in the Here & Now podcast or with the WBUR mobile app.

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