ADDIS ABABA. The death toll from recent landslides in Ethiopia has climbed to 257, with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) warning that the number could nearly double. The tragic incidents occurred earlier this week in the Gofa Zone of southern Ethiopia, following heavy rains that triggered the landslides.
According to UNOCHA, “The death toll is expected to rise to up to 500 people as per information received from local authorities.” This grim update comes after a landslide on Sunday night buried numerous individuals, followed by a second landslide on Monday that impacted rescue efforts.
Ethiopia’s National Disaster Risk Management Commission had initially reported the death toll as 229 on Tuesday. Dagmawi Ayele, an administrator for the Gofa Zone, confirmed that rescuers have recovered 226 bodies, which were subsequently buried after a funeral ceremony. Efforts are ongoing to locate 20 more individuals.
“It is too dangerous to approach the site,” Ayele noted, citing continued rainfall as a significant challenge for rescue operations. The situation remains dire as the region endures ongoing heavy rains.
Gary P Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
