Ethiopia landslide: Over 50 killed, more than 100 missing after week-long rainfall
Manuqa told the news wire that one person was rescued alive from the mud during the operation.
Over 50 people have been killed in deadly floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains in the Gamo Zone of Ethiopia, the BBC and other news outlets reported.
According to the Associated Press, 125 others are still missing after landslides hit three districts in the region following a week of heavy rainfall.
The landslides occurred in Gamo Zone and affected Gacho Baba District, Kamla District, and Bonke District, the AP report said, citing Gamo Zone director of disaster response Mesfin Manuqa.
Manuqa told the news wire that one person was rescued alive from the mud during the operation.
The Gacho Baba District communication chief, Abebe Agena, confirmed to the wire that most of the deaths occurred when people were buried under the mud.
The number of households affected in the catastrophe is unknown at the time of filing this report.
Tilahun Kebede, president of the South Ethiopia Regional State, has urged people to move to higher ground as the rains continue.
“Given that it is the rainy season and these types of disasters could happen again, I am calling on communities living in the highlands and flood-prone areas to take the necessary precautions,” Kebede is quoted as saying.
The report noted that incidents of mudslides and floods caused by heavy rainfall are common in Ethiopia, especially during the rainy season.
It added that in July 2024, a deadly mudslide caused by heavy rain resulted in the deaths of 229 people in southern Ethiopia.
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