At least 35 die in Ethiopia's garbage dump landslide - Xinhua

Rescuers search for missing people at the site where a massive garbage dump landslide occurred at the outskirts of Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, March 12, 2017. The number of people killed has exceeded 35 after a massive landslide hit a landfill at the outskirts of Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, officials at the Addis Ababa City Administration told Xinhua. The landslide on Saturday night, which buried several buildings, has also caused the missing of dozens of local residents. (Xinhua/Wang Shoubao)

ADDIS ABABA, March 13 (Xinhua) -- The number of people killed has exceeded 35 after a massive landslide hit a landfill at the outskirts of Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, officials at the Addis Ababa City Administration told Xinhua.

Dagmawit Moges, Head of Addis Ababa City Administration Communication Affairs Office, said that the death toll has now reached 35 and the number could rise as search for missing people is still on progress at the site where the landslide occurred.

The landslide on Saturday night, which buried several buildings, has also caused the missing of dozens of local residents.

The 36 hectare municipal landfill, which has been a dumping ground for Addis Ababa's garbage for more than 50 years, is home for number of Addis Ababa dwellers who were apparently victim of a number of landslides including the latest one on Saturday night.

Local residents gather at the site where a massive garbage dump landslide occurred at the outskirts of Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, March 12, 2017. The number of people killed has exceeded 35 after a massive landslide hit a landfill at the outskirts of Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, officials at the Addis Ababa City Administration told Xinhua. The landslide on Saturday night, which buried several buildings, has also caused the missing of dozens of local residents. (Xinhua/Wang Shoubao)

Diriba Kuma, Addis Ababa city Mayor, told reporters on Sunday morning that humanitarian activities and the search for missing people is well underway since the occurrence of the landslide at 8 pm on Saturday night.

Local residents also told Xinhua that a number of smaller landslides have occurred at the dumping site over the past years, yet none of them had a magnitude of the current one.

The Addis Ababa City Administration and the Addis Ababa University Horn of Africa Regional Environmental Center, in a bid to produce energy from the 50 years old landfill, have recently installed the first stage of a methane capture and flaring system, known as "Repi landfill gas project".