Heavy rains trigger deadly landslides in southern Ethiopia

At least 50 people have died, and 125 others are missing after landslides struck three districts in southern Ethiopia following heavy rains, the Associated Press reported on 12 March.

The landslides hit the Gacho Baba, Kamba and Bonke districts in the Gamo Zone after a week of rainfall. One person was rescued alive during rescue operations, but most victims were found buried in the mud.

Tilahun Kebede, president of the South Ethiopia Regional State, urged residents living in high-risk areas to move to safer ground as rains continue. Landslides and flooding are common during Ethiopia’s rainy seasons, and a mudslide in the same region killed 229 people in July 2024.

The Associated Press, Maghrebi.org