More feared dead in Ethiopian flood that killed 197

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Ethiopian rescue workers dug for a third day through the devastation left by a weekend flash flood that killed at least 197 people, searching for as many as 300 others still missing.
Teams of police officers and soldiers using bulldozers and shovels have been clearing piles of mud and sand after the Dechatu river burst its banks on Saturday night and devastated Dire Dawa town.
"The death toll from the flood that hit Dire Dawa on Saturday stands at 197, but more bodies are expected to be recovered on Tuesday," police inspector Benyam Fikru told Reuters by telephone from Dire Dawa.
The search teams were spread as far as 35 km (20 miles) downstream from Dire Dawa, located 525 km east of the capital Addis Ababa.
"We have located deep gullies along the course of the river which are filled with sands brought by the flash flood. The rescue teams will dig with the help of bulldozers into the gullies in search of bodies," he said.
Other teams were busy filling sand bags to avert another flash flood, which typically happens when downpours from Ethiopia's highlands during the June-August rainy season rush into lowland areas like Dire Dawa.
Reuters