46 dead and dozens missing following landslide in Ethiopia
At least 46 people were killed in a giant landslide in Ethiopia. (AFP)
A mountain of rubbish has given way in a massive garbage dump on the outskirts of Ethiopia's capital, killing at least 46 people and leaving several dozen missing.
Many people at the landfill had been scavenging to make a living, but others live there because renting homes in the area, largely built of mud and sticks, is relatively inexpensive.
Addis Ababa city spokeswoman Dagmawit Moges says most of the 46 dead are women and children, and more bodies were expected to be found in the coming hours.
It's not immediately clear what caused Saturday night's collapse at the Koshe Garbage Landfill, which buried several makeshift homes and concrete buildings. The landfill has been a dumping ground for the capital's garbage for more than 50 years.
About 150 people were there when the landslide occurred, resident Assefa Teklemahimanot said. Addis Ababa mayor Diriba Kuma said 37 people had been rescued and were receiving medical treatment.
An AP reporter saw four bodies taken away by ambulances after being pulled from the debris. Elderly women cried, and others stood anxiously waiting for news of loved ones. Six excavators dug through the ruins.
"My house was right inside there," said a shaken Tebeju Asres, pointing to where one of the excavators was digging in deep, black mud.
"My mother and three of my sisters were there when the landslide happened. Now I don't know the fate of all of them."
The resumption of garbage dumping at the site in recent months likely caused the landslide, Assefa said.
Smaller collapses have occurred at Koshe - or "dirty" in the local Amharic language - in the past two years but only two or three people were killed, Assefa said.
"In the long run, we will conduct a resettling program to relocate people who live in and around the landfill," the Addis Ababa mayor said.
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