Ethiopia landslide death toll reaches 257 as UN warns it could surpass 500

The death toll from devastating landslides in southern Ethiopia has climbed to more than 250 and could rise as high as 500, the UN warned, citing local authorities.

The landslides hit thousands of people in Gofa Zone on Sunday and Monday and are the deadliest ever reported in Ethiopia, Africa’s second most populous country.

“These people are at high risk of further landslides and need to be evacuated to safe zones immediately. Amongst these are at least 1,320 children under 5 years of age and 5,293 pregnant and lactating women,” the UN’s humanitarian agency OCHA said.

The UN agency also said that the government is finalizing an evacuation plan.

Residents and volunteers have been digging through the mud searching for survivors.

Photos from one site showed residents of Kencho Shacha Gozdi embracing after another day of excavations.

Ethiopia is prone to landslides during the rainy season, according to geological surveys. In parts of the country, including the southern region, floods triggered by heavy rains have displaced thousands of people in recent months, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a report last month.

At least 43 people died from floods and landslides last year, OCHA said in November.