Landslide victims number rose to 46
Photo : EBC
borkena,Ethiopia News
By Staff Writer
March 12,2017
State media in Ethiopia disclosed that number of people killed by garbage dump landslide in Addis Ababa rose to 46. Earlier reports that came out from different media outlets in and outside of Ethiopia a few hours ago indicated number of killed people as 15.
Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation cited the city administration to report that the number of victims increased following what appears to be an overnight rescue effort.
At this writing, the search effort does not seem to be called off as many people are still missing. Addis Ababa Fire and Emergency Services and Addis Ababa Police were leading night long rescue effort, from EBC report. However, residents were relentlessly working on site non-stop for many many hours. Search effort is still under way. However, with more than twelve hours since the landslide happened, it is questionable if it is possible to find residents alive here after.
The landslide happened yesterday in the evening around 8 pm local time in the outskirts of the city in Koshe are Kolfe Keraniyo neighborhood.
Mountain of garbage in the Koshe dump site collapsed into ramshackle residential houses that attracted people in the city who were looking for most cheapest rents.
Thirty seven people are already admitted to Alert Hospital – known for treating leprosy cases – in the neighborhood.
Residents who survived the accident say that their property is damaged and many do not know if their relatives are dead or alive yet.
Driba Kuma, mayor of Addis Ababa City reportedly said that the city administration will work to help victims of this unprecedented tragedy in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa.
What is clear from what has been happening in Addis Ababa in recent years and months,however, is that many residents will find it difficult to take the words of the mayor even at face value.
Memories of cruel forceful eviction of residents of Addis Ababa, by this same administration, from their shanty houses to make way for investors is fresh in the minds of many Addis Abebans.
In fact, there are already reports that dumping at the site was disallowed for some time until the city administration allowed it again recently.
And it does not seem to be customary in Ethiopia to hold responsible authorities to account or even investigate the matters. In fact, there is no inquiry into the killings of well over one thousand Ethiopians who were killed during peaceful anti-government demonstration in different parts of the country.
__
Join the conversation. Like borkena on Facebook and get Ethiopian News updates regularly. As well, you may get Ethiopia News by following us on twitter @zborkena
The post Landslide death toll from Addis Ababa garbage dump site rose to 46 appeared first on Borkena Ethiopian News.