Ethiopian officials declared three days of mourning on Friday as diggers continued their search for bodies of mudslide victims in a remote part of the East African country. It said in its latest update that the death toll could rise to as many as 500, citing local officials. Many people were buried in the Gofa Zone of Kencho Shacha Gozdi district on Monday, as rescue workers searched the steep terrain for survivors from mudslides the previous day. Photos from the scene show residents standing over the shrouded bodies of mudslide victims who are being pulled, one by one, from the muddy earth. Deadly mudslides often occur in the wider East African region, from Uganda’s mountainous east to central Kenya’s highlands.

Source: Ethiopian News July 27, 2024 04:33 UTC