Rescuers aided by drones were continuing a desperate search on Wednesday for possible survivors of devastating landslides in an isolated area of southern Ethiopia that have claimed the lives of at least 229 people.

Humanitarian agencies were also scrambling to rush emergency relief aid to the stricken community after the deadliest such incident recorded in Ethiopia, a country highly vulnerable to climate-related disasters.

Local residents have been using shovels and their bare hands to dig through the vast mounds of mud to hunt for victims and survivors of Monday's tragedy in Kencho, a hard-to-access locality hundreds of kilometres from the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

So far, 148 men and 81 women are confirmed to have died after the disaster struck in the remote and mountainous area, according to the Gofa Zone Communications Affairs Department, which covers the Kencho locality, on Tuesday.

"The search for survivors is ongoing and is currently being supported by drones operated by experts from the Information Network Security Administration (INSA)," Firaol Bekele, early warning director at the Ethiopian Disaster Risk Management Commission (EDRMC) told AFP Wednesday.

"The government is addressing urgent needs for food, water, medicine and shelter," he said.

Officials said that most of the victims were buried when they rushed to help other residents hit by the first landslide following heavy rains on Sunday.

The government-owned Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation had reported on Tuesday that five people had been pulled out alive from the mud and were receiving treatment at medical facilities.&nbsp;

The UN's humanitarian response agency OCHA said more than 14,000 people had been affected in the hard-to-access area, which is roughly 450 kilometres (270 miles) from the capital Addis Ababa, about a 10-hour drive.

<h2>Children and pregnant women affected</h2>

"OCHA-coordinated inter-agency team reached the area last night. Partners ready to deliver critical supplies," the agency said on X, on Wednesday.

A UN source told AFP that about 125 people had been displaced, and that the 14,000, including 5,000 pregnant or lactating women and 1,300 children, needed to be evacuated fast because of the risk of another landslide.

Millions of people rely on humanitarian aid in Ethiopia, the second most populous country in Africa, as a result of conflict and natural disasters such as flooding and drought.

"I am deeply saddened by this terrible loss," Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed had said on X on Tuesday in his first reaction to the calamity.

"Following the accident, the Federal Disaster Prevention Task Force has been deployed to the area and is working to reduce the impact of the disaster."

World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who is Ethiopian, sent a message of condolence on X and said a WHO team was being deployed to support immediate health needs.

African Union Commission chief Moussa Faki Mahamat also posted a statement on X, saying "our hearts and prayers" were with the families of the victims.

The US embassy also sent its condolences in a message on X and said the government, via its USAID agency, was in touch with humanitarian partners on the ground.

<h2>'Landslide engulfed them'&nbsp;</h2>

The EDRMC official Firaol Bekele&nbsp;told AFP on Tuesday that several residents had tried to save lives after four households were initially affected by a mudslide.

"But they too perished when the landslide engulfed them," he said.

He said there needed to be a "solid assessment and scientific investigation" into the cause of the landslide, which officials said was in an area prone to such disasters.

"An integrated, study-based solution is needed to address the risk permanently. This may include relocating the population."

OCHA said Tuesday that a similar, but lower-scale landslide had occurred in May in the same area, where more than 50 people had died.&nbsp;

Seasonal rains in South Ethiopia state between April and early May had caused flooding, mass displacement and damage to livelihoods and infrastructure, it said in May.&nbsp;

In another incident in 2017, at least 113 people died when a mountain of garbage collapsed in a dump on the outskirts of Addis Ababa.

The deadliest landslide in Africa was in Sierra Leone's capital in Freetown in August 2017, when 1,141 people perished.

Mudslides in the Mount Elgon region of eastern Uganda killed more than 350 people in February 2010.

Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION&nbsp;audience. 
&nbsp;

Rescuers aided by drones were continuing a desperate search on Wednesday for possible survivors of devastating landslides in an isolated area of southern Ethiopia that have claimed the lives of at least 229 people.

Rescuers aided by drones were continuing a desperate search on Wednesday for possible survivors of devastating landslides in an isolated area of southern Ethiopia that have claimed the lives of at least 229 people. Humanitarian agencies were also scrambling to rush emergency relief aid to the stricken community after the deadliest such incident recorded in Ethiopia, a country highly vulnerable to climate-related disasters. Local residents have been using shovels and their bare hands to dig through the vast mounds of mud to hunt for victims and survivors of Monday's tragedy in Kencho, a hard-to-access locality hundreds of kilometres from the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. So far, 148 men and 81 women are confirmed to have died after the disaster struck in the remote and mountainous area, according to the Gofa Zone Communications Affairs Department, which covers the Kencho locality, on Tuesday. "The search for survivors is ongoing and is currently being supported by drones operated by experts from the Information Network Security Administration (INSA)," Firaol Bekele, early warning director at the Ethiopian Disaster Risk Management Commission (EDRMC) told AFP Wednesday. "The government is addressing urgent needs for food, water, medicine and shelter," he said. Officials said that most of the victims were buried when they rushed to help other residents hit by the first landslide following heavy rains on Sunday. The government-owned Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation had reported on Tuesday that five people had been pulled out alive from the mud and were receiving treatment at medical facilities. The UN's humanitarian response agency OCHA said more than 14,000 people had been affected in the hard-to-access area, which is roughly 450 kilometres (270 miles) from the capital Addis Ababa, about a 10-hour drive. Children and pregnant women affected "OCHA-coordinated inter-agency team reached the area last night. Partners ready to deliver critical supplies," the agency said on X, on Wednesday. A UN source told AFP that about 125 people had been displaced, and that the 14,000, including 5,000 pregnant or lactating women and 1,300 children, needed to be evacuated fast because of the risk of another landslide. Millions of people rely on humanitarian aid in Ethiopia, the second most populous country in Africa, as a result of conflict and natural disasters such as flooding and drought. "I am deeply saddened by this terrible loss," Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed had said on X on Tuesday in his first reaction to the calamity. "Following the accident, the Federal Disaster Prevention Task Force has been deployed to the area and is working to reduce the impact of the disaster." World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who is Ethiopian, sent a message of condolence on X and said a WHO team was being deployed to support immediate health needs. African Union Commission chief Moussa Faki Mahamat also posted a statement on X, saying "our hearts and prayers" were with the families of the victims. The US embassy also sent its condolences in a message on X and said the government, via its USAID agency, was in touch with humanitarian partners on the ground. 'Landslide engulfed them' The EDRMC official Firaol Bekele told AFP on Tuesday that several residents had tried to save lives after four households were initially affected by a mudslide. "But they too perished when the landslide engulfed them," he said. He said there needed to be a "solid assessment and scientific investigation" into the cause of the landslide, which officials said was in an area prone to such disasters. "An integrated, study-based solution is needed to address the risk permanently. This may include relocating the population." OCHA said Tuesday that a similar, but lower-scale landslide had occurred in May in the same area, where more than 50 people had died. Seasonal rains in South Ethiopia state between April and early May had caused flooding, mass displacement and damage to livelihoods and infrastructure, it said in May. In another incident in 2017, at least 113 people died when a mountain of garbage collapsed in a dump on the outskirts of Addis Ababa. The deadliest landslide in Africa was in Sierra Leone's capital in Freetown in August 2017, when 1,141 people perished. Mudslides in the Mount Elgon region of eastern Uganda killed more than 350 people in February 2010. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Ethiopia landslides: 229 dead, rescuers using drones in desperate search for survivors

The death toll from a landslide in a remote area of southern Ethiopia has risen to at least 146, a local official said Tuesday (July 23), warning that the number could rise.

The disaster occurred at around 10:00 am (0700 GMT) on Monday (July 22) following heavy rains in Gofa, a mountainous area of South Ethiopia regional state.&nbsp;

"The number of dead from the sudden landslide that happened in Geze-Gofa district of Gofa zone has passed 146," a statement from the Gofa zone Communications Affairs Department said, quoting local official Habtamu Fetena.

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Habtamu said the bodies of 96 men and 50 women have been found, adding that the search was "continuing vigorously" and warning that the number of dead could increase.

The local authority had given a death toll of 55 on Monday but there is scant information about the disaster due to the remoteness of the region.

Images shared on Facebook by the local authority on Monday showed large crowds of people near a devastating scene of tumbled red soil.

The photographs showed people using their bare hands to dig through the dirt in search of survivors, with no sign of official rescue services.

- Vulnerable to climate disasters -

Gofa zone is roughly 450 kilometres (270 miles) from the capital Addis Ababa, a drive of about 10 hours, and is located north of the Maze National Park.

"The area of the disaster is rural, remote and very mountainous," an Ethiopian refugee living in Kenya who said he is from a district neighbouring Geze-Gofa, told AFP.

"The soil in that area isn't strong, so when heavy rains and landslides happen the soil immediately runs down to the ground below."

Ethiopia, the second most populous country in Africa with around 120 million people, is highly vulnerable to climate disasters, including flooding and drought.

The South Ethiopia regional state has been battered by the short seasonal rains between April and early May that have caused flooding and mass displacement, according to the UN's humanitarian response agency, OCHA.

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It said in May that "floods impacted over 19,000 people in several zones, displacing over a thousand and causing damage to livelihoods and infrastructure".

The southern region area has experienced tragic landslides previously, with at least 32 people killed in 2018 after two separate landslides within a week of each other.

Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

The death toll from a landslide in a remote area of southern Ethiopia has risen to at least 146, a local official said Tuesday (July 23), warning that the number could rise.

The death toll from a landslide in a remote area of southern Ethiopia has risen to at least 146, a local official said Tuesday (July 23), warning that the number could rise. The disaster occurred at around 10:00 am (0700 GMT) on Monday (July 22) following heavy rains in Gofa, a mountainous area of South Ethiopia regional state. "The number of dead from the sudden landslide that happened in Geze-Gofa district of Gofa zone has passed 146," a statement from the Gofa zone Communications Affairs Department said, quoting local official Habtamu Fetena. Also read: Body-cam video shows Illinois police fatally shooting woman in home Habtamu said the bodies of 96 men and 50 women have been found, adding that the search was "continuing vigorously" and warning that the number of dead could increase. The local authority had given a death toll of 55 on Monday but there is scant information about the disaster due to the remoteness of the region. Images shared on Facebook by the local authority on Monday showed large crowds of people near a devastating scene of tumbled red soil. The photographs showed people using their bare hands to dig through the dirt in search of survivors, with no sign of official rescue services. - Vulnerable to climate disasters - Gofa zone is roughly 450 kilometres (270 miles) from the capital Addis Ababa, a drive of about 10 hours, and is located north of the Maze National Park. "The area of the disaster is rural, remote and very mountainous," an Ethiopian refugee living in Kenya who said he is from a district neighbouring Geze-Gofa, told AFP. "The soil in that area isn't strong, so when heavy rains and landslides happen the soil immediately runs down to the ground below." Ethiopia, the second most populous country in Africa with around 120 million people, is highly vulnerable to climate disasters, including flooding and drought. The South Ethiopia regional state has been battered by the short seasonal rains between April and early May that have caused flooding and mass displacement, according to the UN's humanitarian response agency, OCHA. Also read: Six killed as gunman opens fire after entering nursing home in Croatia It said in May that "floods impacted over 19,000 people in several zones, displacing over a thousand and causing damage to livelihoods and infrastructure". The southern region area has experienced tragic landslides previously, with at least 32 people killed in 2018 after two separate landslides within a week of each other. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Death toll from Ethiopian landslide rises to 146: Officials

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Ethiopia landslides: 229 dead, rescuers using drones in desperate search for survivors

Death toll from Ethiopian landslide rises to 146: Officials