RESCUERS and volunteers continue to dig through the mud as they desperately search for missing people.
On the other side, are residents with pictures of their missing loved ones, hoping that their bodies will be recovered.
To recall, hundreds of people were killed after massive landslides hit Gofa zone last Sunday, after days of heavy downpours in the mountainous region.
Another landslide happened last Monday, killing even more people, including rescuers.
Ethiopian prime minister Abiy Ahmed visited the Gofa zone on Saturday to offer his condolences to the families and relatives of landslide victims.
The ongoing operation was supported by local authorities and assisted by the Ethiopian Red Cross society, as well as community members.
‘’When the landslide occurred, my daughter and i heard a call for help from our neighbor. We quickly went to the site and started rescuing the buried family. However, a few minutes later, my daughter was also buried by a second landslide,’’ Tamuni terefe, Local said.
‘’I have lost 13 family members. We have found 12 bodies so far and are still waiting to find my sister’s body. It’s terrible, and we are in great sorrow,’’ Solomon Sume, Local said.
Local authorities say at least 257 people died in the disaster, while the united nations’ humanitarian agency expects the death toll to potentially double to around 500.
However, the exact number of missing individuals is still unclear.
