Garbage Dump Landslide is likely caused by resumption of dumping, indicates AP Report
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borkena,Ethiopian News
March 12,2017
Koshe area in the outskirts of Addis Ababa has become a scene of tragedy as garbage dump landslide killed at least fifteen residents. As many as forty other people are missing according to report by The Associated Press.
Fana Broadcasting report in Amharic indicates that the accident happened yesterday around 8 p.m local time. So far 37 people are rescued, the report added citing Nigatu Mamo, authority within Addis Ababa City Fire and Emergency services.
Addis Ababa Mayor,Diriba Kuma, confirmed that 37 people were rescued and they are receiving medical treatment in the nearby hospitals, as reported by AP. It is not,however, clear if the condition of rescued people is life threatening.
As part of the effort to continue the search for more survivors, six excavators are deployed at the site.
“My house was right inside there,…My mother and three of my sisters were there when the landslide happened. Now I don’t know the fate of all of them.” ” shaken Tebeju Asres is cited as saying by AP.
Assefa Teklehaimanot, a resident in the locality, told AP that there were about 150 people in the area when the landslide happened.
Koshe, the damping site, is like Guatemala City’s massive dump site. Poverty stricken people in the area depend on it for their livelihood.
From what one resident told AP, it seems that dumping at the site was stopped for some time and it resumed recently “after farmers in a nearby restive region where a new garbage landfill complex was being built blocked dumping in their area.”
It is believed, AP report indicated, that resumption of dumping likely caused Garbage dump landslide – may be something that the city administration will have to explain. But for now what the mayor is saying is that the city will relocate residents to other parts of the city.
The dumping area attracted residents for its affordable shanty houses, which would have been otherwise impossible for many to have roof over their heads.
Ethiopia was rattled by popular anti-government protest which caused the death of more than one thousands civilians when government forces fired at protesters and mounted house to house searches. State of emergency was declared in October which is still in effect.
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