Islamabad (AP/PTI): A landslide triggered by heavy rain and snowfall buried more than two dozen houses in a remote village in eastern Afghanistan, killing at least five people and leaving more than 20 others missing, a provincial official said Monday.

The landslide, which occurred 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 so far recovered five bodies and a search is underway for at least 25 others, including women and children, who are trapped under the destroyed houses, Haqbayan said.

The landslide occurred after heavy rains and snowfall that are still ongoing, he added.

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

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Kalaburagi: An incident involving a swamiji firing a gun into the air has been reported from Udachan village in Afzalpur taluk of Kalaburagi district. The act, captured on video, has since gone viral on social media.

The swamiji has been identified as Sri Shantalinga Shivacharya, pontiff of the Hiremath of Sri Shankaralingeshwara Samsthana. According to reports, the incident took place on Sunday evening within the premises of the math, where the swamiji allegedly fired a single-barrel gun into the air.

This is not the first time the swami has courted controversy. Last year, he was reportedly found driving erratically under the influence of alcohol in Salotagi village of neighbouring Indi taluk, following which members of the public confronted him. He later fled from the math, sources said.

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More recently, during the annual fair of the Sri Shankaralingeshwara Math in Udachan village, the swami had arrived at the village with police protection, claiming to be the rightful pontiff of the math. Despite opposition from villagers, he reportedly went ahead and conducted rituals related to the fair.

The latest incident of firing the gun into the air has triggered criticism, especially after the video surfaced online. Further action, if any, is awaited from the authorities.