Afghanistan landslide: Rescuers search for missing

David Loyn says rescuers are using their bare hands to dig through the mud

Rescuers in Afghanistan are sifting through mud for a second day after a landslide that is feared to have buried at least 2,000 people.

The UN said more than 350 bodies had been recovered in the remote north-east Afghan province of Badakhshan.

Hundreds of homes were buried on Friday when a section of a mountain collapsed following torrential rain.

The BBC's David Loyn in Kabul says rescue efforts are rudimentary and survivors are unlikely to be found.

Local police handed out bread and water to the thousands of people who spent the night without shelter.

Much of north and east Afghanistan has been hit by heavy rain in recent days.

"The number of deceased has increased to 350 and significant displacement is expected," the UN mission in Afghanistan said in a statement.

"The UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is helping local authorities to rescue those still trapped."

Tonnes of mud

About 1,000 houses were affected - 300 of them buried immediately after the side of a mountain gave way.

The landslide hit on Friday morning, a day of rest in Afghanistan, meaning people were at home and whole families were lost under tonnes of mud.

Badakhshan police commander Fazludeen Ayaz told the BBC that all of the village of Hargu - home to 215 families - was covered by earth and rock.

He said it was unlikely that any survivors would be found under the rubble and that even if there was rescue equipment available in the remote area, it would be difficult to dig people out.

A local police commander said it was unlikely that any survivors would be found

A local police commander said it was unlikely that any survivors would be found

Hundreds of home were buried under mud and rocks, leaving thousands of people without shelter

Rescue operations were hampered by a lack of equipment available in the remote region

Remote region

The BBC's Qurbon Ali Hamzi in Badakhshan says continuing rain has raised fears of further landslides.

Badakhshan is in the most remote and mountainous part of the country, bordering Tajikistan, China and Pakistan.

The governor of Badakhshan province, Shah Waliullah Adeeb, told AP news agency that rescue crews did not have enough equipment and appealed for shovels.

"It's physically impossible right now," Mr Adeeb said. "We don't have enough shovels; we need more machinery.''

He said that residents of nearby villages had been evacuated amid concerns about further landslides.

Another, smaller landslide was reported in Badakhshan on Thursday.

The UN's Aidan O'Leary says relief efforts are being accelerated

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Analysis

Bilal SarwaryBBC News, Kabul

Badakhshan in north-eastern Afghanistan is a mountainous province with remote and rustic districts. Every year, avalanches and mudslides affect communities there. But the mudslide in Hargu surprised many.

With more than 500 homes buried, villagers worked overnight hoping they could rescue some of those trapped under the mud.

The villagers and government rescue teams are using shovels, and a lot of the clearing is being done by hand. Bulldozers and other heavy machinery are needed, and are not available.

For now, everyone in the area is focused on getting food, medicine and tents to hundreds of residents who have been displaced.