Landslide in eastern Afghanistan leaves at least 5 people dead and 25 missing, Taliban official says

ISLAMABAD — A landslide triggered by heavy rain and snowfall buried more than two dozen houses in eastern Afghanistan, killing at least five people and leaving more than 20 others missing, a provincial official said Monday.

The landslide Sunday night destroyed or damaged more than two dozen houses in Noorgram district, according to Samiulhaq Haqbayan, the Taliban-appointed director of information and culture in Nuristan province.

Rescuers have recovered five bodies and were searching for at least 25 others trapped under the destroyed houses, Haqbayan said.

The heavy rains and snowfall were continuing, he added.

Nuristan province, which borders Pakistan, is mostly covered by mountainous forests.