Scores of people have been killed after heavy rains in the remote south of Ethiopia. Authorities warned the death toll could continue to climb as bodies as well as survivors were pulled from the mud.

The number of dead after a mudslide in Ethiopiarose to 229, local authorities said on Tuesday, with the possibility that it would rise further.

The landslide was caused by heavy rains in Gofa Zone in the remote south of the country on Monday.

Some people remain unaccounted for after a group of people were covered by mud while they were trying to rescue others.

"I don't know when it will stop. We are still recovering bodies," said Markos Melese, head of the National Disaster Response

agency in Gofa. "We are still digging."

Photographs showed people digging through the mud with bare hands, with little sign of emergency services at the scene.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said the loss of life had left him deeply saddened. He added that federal officials had been deployed.

What do we know about the victims?

The Gofa Zone Communications Affairs Department said 148 men and 81 women were among the victims.

It added that the search for bodies was "continuing vigorously."

"The death toll surged after the people who came to rescue also got trapped," said district administrator Misikir Mitiku. "It is a very sad incident."

"There are children who are hugging corpses, having lost their entire family, including mother, father, brother and sister, due to the accident," another local administrator, Dagmawi Ayele, said.

He added that at least five people have been pulled alive from the mud.

zc/rm (AFP, AP)