NAIROBI, July 23. /TASS/. At least 157 people have died as a result of a landslide in southern Ethiopia, Reuters reported citing a government official.

Earlier reports said the landslide claimed 55 lives.

The landslide came down in the Geze Gofa region in the south of the country. In Ethiopia, there is a rainy season, which began in July and is expected to last until the middle of September. Persistent rains sometimes cause landslides in some parts of the east African country.