Ethiopia: Floods death toll climbs to 194

The death toll from flooding in southern Ethiopia climbed to 194 today, state television reported, as rescuers battled to save thousands of people still marooned by high water.

Women, children and the elderly from 14 villages made up most of the stranded, huddling on high ground as rescuers struggled to reach them with motor boats and two helicopters, officials said.

In all, more than 450 people have died in the past 11 days after rivers in southern, eastern and northern Ethiopia burst their banks, stretching resources across the impoverished nation.

The army has been mobilised to help rescue efforts in Omo Valley, in southern Ethiopia close to the Kenyan border and 435 miles from the capital Addis Ababa.

Between 6,000 and 10,000 people have been stranded, according to Ethiopian officials, after the Omo River burst its banks on Sunday.