By Addis Getachew

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia 

The parliament declared a three-day national mourning period starting Wednesday for dozens of people who were killed in a garbage landfill landslide.

Ethiopian flag will fly at half-mast for three days across the country as well as at Ethiopian-owned ships and Ethiopian embassies and consular offices in accordance with the parliament’s declaration.

The death toll in the late Saturday evening incident in the capital Addis Ababa rose to 72 by Wednesday.

According to the local fire and emergency authority, the landslide had destroyed 15 houses in the area.

The garbage dump site had piled up waste for 50 years from the capital’s homes and businesses. According to official estimates, Addis Ababa currently generates 2,400 tons of dry waste each day.

The site was meant for an energy generation scheme, which never materialized.

The parliament also expressed its deepest condolences to the bereaved families.