Flood death Toll rises to 190

(SomaliNet) A total of 190 deaths have been confirmed from flash floods which occurred in eastern Ethiopia showing a rise in the death toll, an official said on Monday, AP reported.

According to reports, 39 of the victims are children.

The spokesperson for the government's Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Agency, Sisay Tadesse, said the floods tore through the eastern town of Dire Dawa early on Sunday, and as many as 10 000 people have been displaced in and around the town.

Sisay Tadesse said heavy rains in Dire Dawa, 300km east of the capital Addis Ababa, swelled nearby rivers beyond their banks.

Meanwhile, a team has been sent to Dire Dawa to assess the situation. But electricity and telephone outages in the town have made it difficult to get information.

In April 2005, torrential rains caused massive flooding in parts of eastern Ethiopia, killing more than 150 people and leaving thousands homeless. Flooding killed 32 people in Dire Dawa in May 2005.

Bonny Apunyu