At least 70 people have died after landslides swept through Ethiopia’s southern Gamo Zone earlier this week following days of heavy rainfall, regional officials said on Thursday.
Authorities raised the death toll from an earlier estimate of 52 as rescue efforts continued in several affected areas.
The Gamo Zone communications office said about 50 people are still believed to be missing as search teams continue operations amid difficult conditions.
“Seventy people have died in landslide accidents that occurred in different parts of the Gamo Zone,” the South Ethiopia Regional Government Communication Affairs Bureau said in a statement posted on Facebook.
Images shared by Ethiopian state broadcaster EBC showed residents gathered at the disaster site, where sections of a hillside had collapsed and mud covered large areas of land. Some people were seen standing knee-deep in thick mud as rescue and recovery efforts continued.
Heavy rains frequently trigger landslides in Ethiopia’s mountainous regions, particularly during the rainy season when saturated soil becomes unstable.