Death toll from Ethiopian landslides rises to 157
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ADDIS ABABA – The death toll from two landslides in southern Ethiopia has risen sharply to 157 and the number could increase further, a government official said on July 23.
A landslide buried people in Gofa zone in southern Ethiopia regional state, then a second one engulfed others who had gathered to help on the morning of July 22, officials said.
The search is “still going on and there are bodies that are yet to be recovered. The area is very challenging,” Mr 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.”
On July 22, an official said at least 50 people had died and children and police officers were among the dead. REUTERS
