Death toll from Ethiopia landslides could jump to 500, UN says

Residents dig to recover the dead bodies of victims of the landslide following heavy rains that buried people in Gofa zone, Southern Ethiopia July 23, 2024. Gofa Zone Government Communication Affairs Department/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) -The death toll from landslides in Ethiopia earlier this week has risen to 257 and is expected to almost double, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) said on Thursday.

Heavy rains triggered a landslide burying people in the Gofa Zone of southern Ethiopia on Sunday night and a second one on Monday engulfed those engaged in rescue efforts.