Ethiopia landslides death toll rises to 257, could almost double: UN

Residents dig to recover the body of a victim of a landslide that buried people in the Gofa zone of southern Ethiopia [Handout: Gofa Zone Government Communication Affairs Department via Reuters]

Deaths caused by landslides in Ethiopia have risen to 257, but the final death toll is expected to be 500, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The UN agency released the figures on Thursday after the landslides in the mountainous Gofa zone in southern Ethiopia, the first triggered by heavy rains on Monday, the second engulfing those who had gathered to rescue people.