The death toll from two landslides in southern Ethiopia on Monday has climbed to 229, as reported by local authorities.
According to CNN, on Tuesday, the communication affairs department of Gofa Zone confirmed that 148 males and 81 females had lost their lives.
Earlier, Habtamu Fetena, a local official, informed the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation that the deceased included children, and the death toll was expected to rise.
Officials attributed the landslides to heavy rainfall, which caused the initial slide that buried many individuals. A subsequent slide then killed several rescuers, as noted by Reuters.
Images from the site showed a woman weeping while hundreds gathered at the scene of the mudslide.
The zone’s administrator, Dagmawi Ayele,told EBC that five individuals trapped in the mud were rescued and are receiving medical care.
He added that the local community continues to search for more survivors.
Photographs from the disaster area depicted a rescuer using his bare hands to sift through the mud in search of bodies. Ayele mentioned that most of the excavation efforts have been done manually.
Geological surveys indicate that Ethiopia is susceptible to landslides during the rainy season.
Recently, floods caused by heavy rains have displaced thousands in the southern region, as highlighted in a report from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in June.
According to OCHA, at least 43 individuals died from floods and landslides in 2023, as reported in November.
Southern Ethiopia has a history of devastating landslides. In May 2018, twin landslides in the West Arsi, Sidama, and Gamo Gofa zones resulted in 45 fatalities within hours of each other.
