Ethiopia landslides: Frantic digging for survivors in Gofa

Families dig with their bare hands for loved ones buried under the mud of landslides.

British Broadcasting CorporationWatchHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureTravelEarthVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessWomen at the HelmFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureTravelEarthVideoLiveAudioWeatherNewslettersFrantic digging at scene of deadly Ethiopia landslidesBBC/Habtamu TibebuRescue teams have been unable to get earth-moving equipment into the areaAt the scene Ethiopia’s deadliest landslides men are still digging through mounds of mud with their bare hands, spades and pick axes to find those missing - their efforts punctuated by the wails of women and children mourning the 229 people whose bodies have so far been found.

They are victims of a cruel act of nature: on Sunday, heavy rains caused a landslide in a village perched high on a mountain in the remote Gofa zone.

With four homes engulfed by the landslide, nearby villagers and police officers came in large numbers to dig through the mud in the hope of finding the occupants alive, while women and children looked on, praying and consoling each other.

The search continued on Monday, only for a second landslide to occur, burying hundreds of people - no-one knows exactly how many - under the mud.

When I arrived in Gofa, in the south-west of Ethiopia, late on Wednesday, between 100 and 200 mostly young men, were still digging as relatives sat nearby, hoping for the best.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cyr728y2gz7o

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