33 feared dead in Kyrgyzstan landslide

More than 30 people were feared dead after a landslide engulfed a village in southern Kyrgyzstan today.

The landslide buried 12 houses in the mountainous Budalyk village 430 miles from the capital, Bishkekk, Emergencies Ministry spokesman Emil Akmatov said.

He said the death toll of 33 was based on preliminary information and might change.

The village is in an area susceptible to landslides, and authorities are planning to move its residents to a safe area, he said.

Mountains cover more than 90% of the former Soviet republic in Central Asia, and landslides are common.