Addis Abeba — Several world leaders are offering condolences following a landslide in the Kencho Shacha Gozdi village, Gofa Zone, South Ethiopia Regional State, on Monday that resulted in over 257 fatalities.
Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a message on Thursday to Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, expressing sympathy for the victims' families and wishing recovery to the injured.
South Africa's president Cyril Ramaphosa, has also expressed deep sorrow and condolences. He said the South African people's thoughts are with the people of Ethiopia, particularly the bereaved families, during this period of mourning.
"Our hearts go out to the government and the people of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia at this difficult time," the president stated on Thursday, recalling the strong and historic relations between South Africa and Ethiopia, dating back to the apartheid era.
Earlier on Wednesday, the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated, "I'm deeply saddened by the loss of more than 200 lives in the south of Ethiopia following landslides triggered by heavy rains." He noted that UN agencies are dispatching food, nutrition, health, and other critical supplies to assist affected individuals.
The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement released on Thursday expressed "heartfelt solidarity" with the Ethiopian people and offered "deepest condolences" to the families of the victims of the landslide.
Japanese Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko similarly conveyed condolences to Ethiopian Foreign Minister Taye Atske Selassie, expressing hope for the recovery of those affected and the restoration of damaged areas.
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The latest round of condolences came in the backdrop of growing fears that the death toll from the devastating landslide could rise up to 500.
Four days after the incident, search and rescue operations are still ongoing mainly by digging through mounds of mud with bare hands and spades due to a lack of other options, the UN OCHA said on Thursday.
OCHA warned that over 15,000 people, including 1,320 children under 5 and 5,293 pregnant and lactating women, are at high risk of further landslides and called for immediate evacuation, as authorities finalize an evacuation plan.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed posted on social media late on Tuesday that he is "deeply saddened by this terrible loss." He added that "the Federal Disaster Prevention Task Force has been deployed to the area and is working to reduce the impact of the disaster."
On Tuesday, local officials reported that 229 people, including 148 men and 81 women, were among the confirmed victims. They included teachers, health and agricultural experts, and the administrator of the local kebele, who had arrived at the scene to assist with rescue efforts.
