In Afghanistan, search operations for the bodies of villagers who were buried under a massive mudslide in the northeastern province of Badakhshan have been restarted after relatives of the missing complained about the government’s decision to halt the operation.
The collapse of a mountainside after heavy rains destroyed the village of Aab Bareek on May 2, with many victims thought to be buried beneath as much as 50 meters of mud that cascaded down into a ravine.
The search was called off during the weekend because the ravine is inaccessible to heavy digging equipment.
The number of dead may never be known though UN and Afghan officials have estimated fatalities at anywhere between 500 and 2,700 people.
About 700 families have been displaced by the disaster and are living in the open around the ruined village.
With reporting by dpa and Reuters