The Tarasin village landslide in Sudan’s Darfur region killed over 1,000 people after heavy rains, leaving just one survivor.
KHARTOUM: A catastrophic landslide in Sudan’s Darfur region has wiped out the remote village of Tarasin in the Marra Mountains, killing more than 1,000 people and leaving only one survivor.
The disaster struck on Sunday, 31 August 2025, after days of heavy rainfall loosened the volcanic soil of the Marra range. Entire hillsides collapsed, burying homes, farmland and families under tonnes of rock and mud. Local sources from the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM) confirmed the death toll, while the United Nations has so far verified hundreds of deaths but admitted that access to the remote site makes accurate numbers hard to establish.
Rescue efforts face severe challenges. The mountainous terrain is difficult to navigate, with many access points only reachable on foot or donkey, while heavy mud has rendered roads unusable. Even UN helicopters have been unable to land safely in the disaster zone.
For a country already battling conflict, famine and displacement, the landslide adds a new layer of tragedy. The Marra Mountains have long been a stronghold for rebel groups, but today they stand as a grim reminder of nature’s power. Survivors in surrounding villages are calling for urgent humanitarian assistance as the scale of destruction becomes clearer.
