Landslide at Ethiopian Landfill Kills at Least 48 People

At least 48 people have been killed by a landslide at a massive garbage dump on the outskirts of Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa. On Saturday, piles of garbage collapsed onto waste pickers searching the Koshe landfill for food and goods to sell. It also covered dozens of homes built around the site.

The incident is a reminder of some of the contradictions in Ethiopia’s success story as one of the continent’s fastest growing economies. Only a decade ago, Ethiopia was the second poorest country in the world; now it averages more than 10% economic growth a year and hopes to join the ranks of middle income countries by 2025. It’s also the site of heavily repressed protests and poverty still plagues almost a third of the population.