Ethiopia: At Least 55 Killed by Landslides in the South

The first landslide occurred at 07:00 (local time) due to heavy rains affecting the south of the country.

Local authorities in Ethiopia warned that at least 55 people had died after two landslides in the south of the country, adding that the death toll could increase.

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«More than 55 bodies have been found in the landslides», underlined on Monday a statement from the Department of Communications Affairs of the Gofa area, where local chief Dagmawi Zerihun is quoted, who stressed that «the death toll could still increase».

The official said that the first landslide occurred at 7:00 (local time) because of heavy rains affecting the south of the country.

On the other hand, he emphasized that the authorities continue “vigorously” the search for survivors.

In the same vein, the spokesman for the Government of the Gofa district, which is the name of the village affected by the rainfall in the south, Kassahun Abayneh, stated that «There was a heavy rain last night and some people died from a landslide».

 “In the morning, the neighbors, including the police, concentrated on the site to rescue those affected by the first landslide,» he added.

Also, the general administrator of the district of Gofa Meskir Mitku, quoted by the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC), noted that among the mass of deaths there are women, children and local police.