Ethiopia Landslides: Death Toll Expected to Rise Significantly

The death toll from landslides in Ethiopia has increased to 257 and is anticipated to rise to nearly 500. Heavy rains caused the landslides in the Gofa Zone, with rescue efforts being hampered by continuous rain. To date, 226 bodies have been recovered, with another 20 missing.

The death toll from landslides in Ethiopia earlier this week has risen to 257 and is expected to almost double, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) said on Thursday.

Heavy rains triggered a landslide burying people in the Gofa Zone of southern Ethiopia on Sunday night and a second one on Monday engulfed those engaged in rescue efforts. 'The death toll is expected to rise to up to 500 people as per information received from local authorities,' UNOCHA said in a report.

On Tuesday, Ethiopia's National Disaster Risk Management Commission had put the death toll at 229. Dagmawi Ayele, an administrator for the Gofa Zone said rescuers had so far recovered 226 bodies, which had been buried after a funeral ceremony, and were searching for 20 more.

'It is too dangerous to approach the site,' he said, adding that the rains were continuing on Thursday. (Additional reporting by George Obulutsa in Nairobi and Bhargav Acharya in Johannesburg, Editing by Bate Felix and Sharon Singleton)

(With inputs from agencies.)