Rescue teams continue search for potential survivors after landslide kill 229
Date
7/24/2024 10:00:26 AM
(MENAFN) On Wednesday, rescuers, assisted by drones, continued their urgent search for potential survivors following devastating landslides in a remote region of southern Ethiopia. The disaster, which struck an isolated area of Kencho, has resulted in the deaths of at least 229 people. Humanitarian agencies are working swiftly to deliver emergency relief to the affected community, marking the deadliest landslide incident recorded in Ethiopia, a nation prone to climate-related disasters.
Local residents have been tirelessly digging through the extensive mudslides with shovels and their bare hands in hopes of finding both victims and survivors. The landslides occurred on Monday, in Kencho, a difficult-to-reach area located hundreds of kilometers from the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. As of Tuesday, the Gofa Zone Communications Affairs Department, which oversees the Kencho locality, confirmed that 148 men and 81 women had died as a result of the disaster.
The Ethiopian Disaster Risk Management Commission (EDRMC) reported that the search for survivors is ongoing, with support from drones operated by experts from the Information Network Security Administration (INSA). "The government is addressing urgent needs for food, water, medicine, and shelter," said Firaol Bekele, the early warning director at EDRMC.
Officials noted that many victims were caught in the landslides while attempting to assist others who had been affected by an initial landslide triggered by heavy rains on Sunday. According to the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation, five people have been rescued from the mud and are currently receiving medical treatment.
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