The death toll from the devastating landslides that hit Ethiopia this week has jumped to 257, amid warning it could surpass 500, reported Reuters.
Due to heavy rains, a landslide hit the Gofa Zone in southern Ethiopia on Sunday night, burying thousands of people. Amid search operations and rescue efforts, a second landslide hit the region on Monday, killing more people.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) said in a report on Thursday: “The death toll is expected to rise to up to 500 people as per information received from local authorities.”
The UN agency added that Ethiopians are “at high risk of further landslides and need to be evacuated to safe zones immediately. Amongst these are at least 1,320 children under 5 years of age and 5,293 pregnant and lactating women.”
Residents and volunteers have begun search operations by digging through the mud, reported CNN. Meanwhile, the UNOCHA said that the government in Ethiopia is working out an evacuation plan.
Dagmawi Ayele, an administrator for the Gofa Zone, told Reuters that rescuers have managed to recover 226 bodies so far. “It is too dangerous to approach to the site,” he said, noting that heavy rains were continuing on Thursday.
Ethiopia is the second most populous country in Africa. Geological surveys point out that the country is prone to landslides during the rainy season.
According to the UNOCHA report last month, floods resulting from heavy rains have led to the displacement of thousands of people in recent months. Moreover, floods and landslides killed at least 43 people in Ethiopia last year.
Southern Ethiopia has experienced devastating landslides that claimed the lives of dozens of people and displaced others.
