Frantic digging at scene of deadly Ethiopia landslides
At the site of Ethiopia’s deadliest landslides, men are tirelessly digging through heaps of mud with their hands, spades, and pickaxes in search of the missing. Their efforts are marked by the grief-stricken cries of women and children mourning the 229 people whose bodies have been recovered so far.
The tragedy unfolded on Sunday when heavy rains triggered a landslide in a mountain village in the remote Gofa zone. Four homes were swallowed by the landslide, prompting a large number of nearby villagers and police officers to search through the debris, hoping to find survivors. Meanwhile, women and children stood by, praying and offering each other solace.
The search continued on Monday, only to be interrupted by a second landslide that buried hundreds more under the mud. The exact number of victims remains unknown.
By the time I arrived in Gofa late Wednesday, between 100 and 200 mostly young men were still digging, while relatives waited nearby, clinging to hope. The diggers lack earth-moving equipment; nothing has been flown in, and the narrow, muddy footpath along a cliff is the only access route, making transportation of heavy equipment impossible.
Families are forced to carry the bodies of their loved ones down the treacherous path for burial. Men with somber expressions are constructing tombs, while women and children in these farming communities continue to grieve.
Disaster relief officials have been quoted as saying that drones are being used in the search-and-rescue operations.
One man I spoke to said he spotted them on Tuesday, but he has not seen any since.
For the villagers, there is only one option: to keep digging with spades, pick axes and their bare hands in the hope of finding their loved ones – alive.
Fortunately, the weather held up on Wednesday, making it easier.
Sombre-looking men have been building tombs over graves, while women and children in these farming communities have not stopped weeping.
Disaster relief officials have been quoted as saying that drones are being used in the search-and-rescue operations.
One man I spoke to said he spotted them on Tuesday, but he has not seen any since.
For the villagers, there is only one option: to keep digging with spades, pick axes and their bare hands in the hope of finding their loved ones – alive.
Fortunately, the weather held up on Wednesday, making it easier.
