Latest news Mass funerals after landslides in Ethiopia

The desperate search for survivors continues after several landslides in south-western Ethiopia. According to government figures, at least 229 people have already been found dead.

Rescue workers fear that the number of those still buried under the masses of earth and mud is much higher.

Residents held mass burials in several villages in the region, as a reporter from the DPA news agency reported from the scene. Members of affected families dug desperately with their bare hands for missing people in the village of Dale in the Gofa district. Others tried to find missing relatives with the help of photos.

Since the first landslide on Sunday, rescue services and volunteers have been searching for survivors, but mainly recovering the dead. On Monday, an aid worker was also buried during the rescue work. The Ethiopian Red Cross spoke of "a tragedy". Thousands of families are affected. Rescue workers tried to provide people with food, emergency shelters, medicine and hygiene products as quickly as possible.

The landslides were triggered by heavy rainfall. With the start of the rainy season in July, the likelihood of landslides increases in the hilly region of Ethiopia. The consequences of climate change are also affecting the country in the Horn of Africa - recently the rainfall was heavier than usual due to the El Niño weather phenomenon. In addition, there is a risk of erosion in many regions due to deforestation and without the roots of trees, the soil cannot be held together.