ESAT News (March 13, 2017)
Over sixty people are reportedly dead on Saturday in a landfill landslide outside the capital Addis Ababa.
Local media reported that 62 people living in and around the landfill died in the landslide. Some of the deceased live scavenging at the site which has been a dumping ground for the city for over 50 years.
The landslide occurred at around 8:00 p.m. on Saturday and killed squatters around the site who scavenge the city dump to survive.
The site was closed few years ago when a new dump site was opened west of the capital. The new site was closed after residents near the site blocked roads and objected to the project saying it was not built in a way that protects the health of inhabitants near the site. It was also reported that millions of dollars has been squandered and little has been done to make the new site up to the standard.
Authorities were forced to reopen the old site, locally known as Koshe (rubbish) despite the fact that it has run its lifetime and has apparently become a health hazard to the community.
Reports also indicate the death toll could be higher as dozens are still missing.
A witness who lives near the dump site told ESAT that he saw several bodies being pulled out of the pile. He said he knows a friend who lost five members of his family.
Some residents blame a bio-gas project at the site for causing the landslide.
The burial of some of the victims was conducted today.