At least 55 individuals lost their lives in a landslide in a remote part of southern Ethiopia on Monday, according to local authorities, who also cautioned that the death toll could climb.
“More than 55 bodies have been found from the landslide,” stated the Gofa zone Communications Affairs Department, quoting local chief Dagmawi Zerihun, who warned “the death toll could yet increase.”
The landslide, which occurred around 10:00 am (0700 GMT) following heavy rains, hit the mountainous region of the South Ethiopia regional state, according to Dagmawi.
Women and children were among the victims, with the search for survivors described as “continuing vigorously.”
Photos shared on Facebook by the state-affiliated media outlet Fana Broadcasting Corporate depicted a harrowing scene, with hundreds of people near the landslide site, digging through the red soil with their bare hands in a desperate search for survivors.
The Gofa zone is situated approximately 450 kilometers (270 miles) from Addis Ababa, the capital, translating to about a 10-hour drive, and lies north of the Maze National Park.
The South Ethiopia regional state has been heavily affected by the short seasonal rains between April and early May, which have led to flooding and mass displacement, as reported by the UN’s humanitarian response agency OCHA.
In May, the agency noted that “floods impacted over 19,000 people in several zones, displacing over a thousand and causing damage to livelihoods and infrastructure.”
This region has a history of tragic landslides, with at least 32 people killed in 2018 after two separate landslides occurred within a week of each other.
