Ethiopia landslides kills at least 70 people, regional officials say

Dozens remain missing as rescue efforts continue

At least seventy people were killed following landslides that ripped through Ethiopia's southern Gamo Zone earlier this week, regional officials said on Thursday, up from 52 reported earlier.

The Gamo Zone communications office said earlier that another 50 people may still be missing. The landslides struck after days of heavy rain.

"Seventy people have died in landslides accidents that happened in different areas of the region Gamo zone," South Ethiopia Regional government Communication Affairs Bureau said on its Facebook account.

A photo posted on Facebook by the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation showed residents standing at the scene of the landslide, with parts of a nearby hillside stripped of vegetation and some people standing knee-deep in mud.