Gofa Zone Government Communication Affairs Department/ ESN/ AFPADDIS ABABA — The death toll from two landslides in southern Ethiopia has risen sharply to 157 and could increase further, a government official said on Tuesday. A landslide buried people in Gofa zone in Southern Ethiopia regional state, then a second one engulfed others who had gathered to help on Monday morning. The area is very challenging," Markos Melese, head of the National Disaster Response agency in Gofa Zone, told Reuters by phone. "We have so far recovered 157 bodies from two villages...We believe the number will increase." "The death toll surged after the people who came to rescue also got trapped," said Gofa district administrator Misikir Mitiku.

Source: Ethiopian News July 23, 2024 15:17 UTC