Türkiye extended condolences to Ethiopia on Tuesday after heavy rain-induced landslides left more than 200 victims dead.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry said it is "saddened" by the loss of lives in a statement. "We extend our condolences and sympathies to the people of Ethiopia."
A landslide hit the southern Gofa district Monday, killing more than people, according to a regional government official.
Landslides in southern Ethiopia are recurrent during the rainy season, which runs from June to August. But this is the deadliest in many years.
"As of now, the death toll is set at 229, comprising 148 men and 81 women. Search and rescue e fforts are ongoing," Alemayehu Bawdi, Southern Regional State representative, said in a statement on Tuesday.
Rescue with hands
The death toll might soar further as the disaster site in a remote district is very difficult to access with machinery due to the steep landscape, according to authorities. The rescue efforts started with hand digging, said a district official requesting anonymity.
Another local official, Misikir Mitiku, told state-owned Fana Broadcasting Corporate that rescuers are also among the victims, with some going missing during search and rescue efforts.
Following the deadly landslide, Gofa Governor Dagmawi Ayele issued a statement emphasising the need for the community to be better equipped to deal with such disasters in the future.
"The disaster struck just before noon local time, as people gathered to see the aftermath of the heavy rain late Sunday night, and the landslide buried the crowd under rubble," said an official from the Zonal Communications Directorate.
Rescuers, including a local official, teachers, and police officers, were among the dead, he added, noting that the full impact of the landslide has yet to be fully assessed.
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