Landslides in southern Ethiopia.. 157 dead and hundreds missing

In a disaster that occurred after landslides caused by heavy rains, 157 people were killed in southern Ethiopia and hundreds were missing, according to a toll announced by a government official.

An official in the Gofa region of the Southern Ethiopian State said yesterday, Monday, that at least 50 people were killed, while relief operations are ongoing.

The Gofa administrative region is located about 450 kilometers from the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, and is a 10-hour drive away.

Earlier, Mesker Meteko, the chief administrator of the rural Woreda region in Gezi-Gofa, which witnessed the landslides, indicated that "the search for survivors and bodies is ongoing."

He added in a statement issued by the Gofa authorities that women and children were among the victims.

Photos published by the Gofa authorities showed residents gathered at the foot of a mountain with trees and grass, a large part of which had been torn off.

A resident also appeared to be digging through a thick layer of red mud with a hand tool. No emergency services were seen in the images.