Ethiopia landslides claim 229 lives, search for survivors continues

Following two devastating landslides in southern Ethiopia, rescue teams have recovered 229 bodies, according to local officials.

The landslides, triggered by heavy rains, struck the remote, mountainous Gofa zone on Sunday evening and Monday morning.

The local authority has stated that the search for survivors is ongoing, with fears that the death toll could rise.

Footage from the scene shows hundreds of people digging through the mud, with a partially collapsed hillside and exposed red earth visible in the background.

Dagmawi Ayele, chief administrator of the Gofa zone, reported that both adults and children are among the deceased, while 10 survivors are receiving hospital treatment.

A second landslide occurred on Monday during search-and-rescue efforts, burying police officers, teachers, and residents who had been working to find survivors of the initial landslide.

“We are still digging,” Mr. Dagmawi told the BBC. Markos Melese, head of Gofa disaster management, confirmed that 229 bodies have been recovered so far.

Gofa is located in Southern Ethiopia, about 320 km southwest of the capital, Addis Ababa.

The region has experienced particularly heavy rain and flooding in recent months, according to the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Historical data shows that similar incidents have occurred, such as in May 2016, when floods and landslides killed at least 50 people in southern Ethiopia.