Southern Ethiopia has been struck by devastating landslides, claiming the lives of at least 146 individuals, local officials reported.
The tragedies unfolded in the Gofa zone, a remote mountainous area, following heavy rains on Sunday evening and Monday morning.
Authorities are in a race against time, “continuing vigorously” to search for survivors amidst the debris. However, they have warned that the “death toll could yet increase.”
Dramatic footage from the scene shows hundreds of people frantically digging through the dirt, trying to rescue those trapped beneath the landslide.
In the background, a hillside can be seen partially collapsed, revealing a large patch of exposed red earth.
Meskir Mitku, the general administrator of the Gofa zone, confirmed that women, children, and police officers were among the casualties.
Kassahun Abayneh, the government spokesperson for the Gofa district, explained that the heavy rains on Sunday night triggered the first landslide.
As locals and police gathered on Monday morning to aid those affected, a second landslide struck around 10:00 AM (07:00 GMT), resulting in further fatalities among the rescuers.
Efforts to find and save any remaining survivors continue as the community reels from this unprecedented disaster.
