The death toll from a shocking landslide in Ethiopia has climbed to about 257, the United Nations said Thursday, warning it could rise to up to 500.
The disaster took place on Monday after heavy rains in a tiny community in a mountainous region of South Ethiopia regional state. Local authority said that around 229 people were killed in the mishap.
“The death toll has increased to 257,” as of July 24, the UN’s humanitarian agency OCHA announced, citing local officials. “The death toll is likely to rise to up to around 500 people,” it added.
At the scene in Kencho Shacha Gozdi, hundreds of locals searched through the sodden red mud as they combed for survivors of the lethal landslide recorded in the African country. The UN stated that over 15,000 affected people need to be evacuated from the region. It said that efforts should be made to evacuate 1,320 children and 5,293 pregnant women and new mothers from the affected area.
South Ethiopia has been battered by the seasonal rains between April and early May that have caused mass displacement and flooding, the OCHA said.
