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Shift Media News 
By ALLAN OKELLO
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia SHIFTMEDIA The death toll from two landslides in southern Ethiopia has risen to more than 100 people, according to government officials, who warned the number could increase.
The first landslide, triggered by heavy rains in a remote region of Gofa zone, occurred on Monday and was followed by a second one that buried people who had gathered to help, state officials said on Tuesday.
At least 157 bodies had been recovered from two villages, Markos Melese, the zonal head of the national disaster response agency in Gofa, told the Reuters news agency by phone, adding that the search was ongoing and “there are bodies that are yet to be recovered”.
Citing Gofa officials, the AFP news agency reported at least 146 dead, while The Associated Press news agency said the death toll had risen from 55 people to 157.
“Initially it was three families that were buried by the landslide. We are still searching for bodies. But the death toll surged after the people who came to rescue also got trapped,” said district administrator Misikir Mitiku.
As images showed people digging into the red earth with their bare hands, Mitiku said they would need earth-moving machines to assist in the recovery operations.
Gofa is part of the state known as the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples’ Region (SNNPR), located about 320km (199 miles) southwest of the capital, Addis Ababa.
Kemal Hashi Mohamoud, a parliamentarian, told Aljazeera from Addis Ababa that the second landslide happened “a few minutes” after the first. “People are preparing shelter and giving them food,” he said.
The local authority said the search for survivors was “continuing vigorously” but that the “death toll could yet increase”.
Footage showed hundreds of people gathered at the scene and others digging in the dirt in search of people trapped underneath.
In the background, a hillside can be seen partially collapsed and a large patch of red earth has been exposed.
Meskir Mitku, the general administrator of the Gofa zone, said women, children, and police officers were among the casualties.
“There was a heavy rain yesterday [Sunday] night and some people died from a landslide,” government spokesperson for the Gofa district Kassahun Abayneh said.
“In the morning [Monday], locals, including police, gathered at the site to save those who were affected by the first landslide. That is when the second landslide happened around 10:00 [07:00 GMT] today and those who gathered there died,” he said in quotes cited by AFP news agency.
Gofa is part of the state known as Southern Ethiopia, located around 320km (199 miles) south-west of the capital, Addis Ababa.
Southern Ethiopia is among the areas of the country that have been hit by particularly heavy rain and flooding in recent months, according to the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha).
But instances of landslides and floods go back further. In May 2016, at least 50 people were killed in floods and landslides following heavy rain across the south of the country.
Many factors contribute to flooding, but a warming atmosphere caused by climate change makes extreme rainfall more likely.
The world has already warmed by about 1.2C since the industrial era began and temperatures will keep rising unless governments around the world make steep cuts to emissions.
