ADDIS ABABA, March 12 — At least 30 people were killed and dozens more hurt in a giant landslide of garbage at Ethiopia’s largest rubbish dump on the outskirts of the capital Addis Ababa, a city official said today.

An AFP journalist at the scene said the largest pile of rubbish at the Koshe landfill appeared to have collapsed, triggering yesterday’s tragedy that levelled dozens of homes of squatters living there.

"The death toll is now 30,” said Dagmawit Moges, head of the city communications bureau.

He said many of the victims were squatters who scavenged for a living in the dump.

"We expect the number of victims to increase because the landslide covered a relatively large area,” he added.

The Koshe site has for more than 40 years been one of the main garbage dumps for Addis Ababa, a rapidly growing city of some four million people in the east African country. — AFP