At least 350 people have been killed in a landslide in Afghanistan’s remote north-east province of Badakhshan, with thousands more missing, according to the UN.

Days of torrential rain caused a section of mountain to collapse on Friday morning, burying hundreds of people and around 1,000 homes under tonnes of rocks and mud.

Rescuers are still searching for survivors, with the effort coordinated by the Afghan Government’s Provincial Disaster Management Committee (PDMC) and support from humanitarian agencies. However, rescue efforts are being hampered by the continued rain, which poses risks of additional landslides.

Mark Bowden, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Afghanistan said in a statement:

“The foremost priority at the moment is saving as many lives as possible of those still beneath the rubble”

Authorities have evacuated a nearby village with the threat of further landslides.