A landslide in southern Ethiopia has killed at least 146 people, a local official said Tuesday, warning that the figure could climb further.
The avalanche happened at 10:00 a.m. (0700 GMT) on Monday, after heavy rains in a mountainous area of South Ethiopia’s regional state. The last toll was 55.
“The number of dead from the sudden landslide that happened in Geze-Gofa district of Gofa zone has passed 146,” a statement from the Gofa zone Communications Affairs Department said, citing local official Habtamu Fetena.
Habtamu stated that the bodies of 96 men and 50 women had been discovered, adding that the search was “continuing vigorously” and warning that the number of deaths could rise.
On Monday, Fana Broadcasting Corporate, a state-affiliated media organization, uploaded images on Facebook of hundreds of people near a horrific picture of collapsed red earth.
Photographs showed individuals digging into the dirt with their bare hands in search of survivors.
Gofa zone is located north of the Maze National Park, around 450 kilometers (270 miles) from the capital Addis Abeba and a 10-hour trip away.
According to the UN’s humanitarian response organization OCHA, the short seasonal rains between April and early May have wreaked havoc on South Ethiopia, causing flooding and mass displacement.