Online Desk : More than 1,000 people have been killed in a devastating landslide in Sudan’s western Darfur region, according to a statement released late Monday by the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A), a rebel group that controls the affected area.

The disaster occurred on Sunday at the village of Tarasin, located in the Marra mountains, following several days of heavy rainfall. The group reported that the landslide flattened the entire village and left only one survivor.

"Initial information indicates the death of all village residents, estimated to be more than one thousand individuals, with only one survivor," the SLM/A said, describing the landslide as "massive and devastating."

The region impacted is known for its citrus production, parts of which were said to be "completely destroyed" by the disaster.

The group has appealed to the United Nations and humanitarian agencies for assistance in recovering the bodies.

Sudan remains gripped by a brutal civil war, now in its third year, which has triggered one of the world`s worst humanitarian crises. Famine has been declared in parts of Darfur, and fighting has intensified in the region — particularly around El-Fasher — since the Sudanese army seized control of the capital, Khartoum, in March.