WASHINGTON, May 4 -- U.S. President Barack Obama on Sunday expressed his condolences to Afghan President Hamid Karzai over a landslide that may have claimed thousands of lives. In a telephone talk between the leaders, Obama offered additional U.S. assistance to the ongoing relief efforts and affirmed the support of the American people as the Afghans respond to the tragedy, the White House said.

The deadly landslide occurred Friday in mountainous province of Badakhshan. Although there is no official death toll, provincial governor Shah Waliullah Adeeb told Xinhua more than 2,500 people might have lost their lives. Karzai informed Obama about the ongoing Afghan government response to the tragedy and expressed appreciation for international assistance, the White House said in a statement.

Obama also expressed support for the Afghan elections on April 5 and reaffirmed that the United States supports a sovereign, stable, unified, and democratic Afghanistan, according to the statement.