At least 64 dead, dozens missing in Ethiopia landslides, floods reported Flood News

Most of the dead were found buried in the soil, officials said.

The death toll from landslides and floods in southern Ethiopia’s Gamo region has risen to at least 64, with dozens missing, police said.

“The number of missing persons due to recent floods in Gamo zone has reached 128 and according to the latest information, 64 bodies have been recovered,” the Southern Ethiopia Regional State Police Commission said in a statement on Facebook on Thursday.

Gacho Baba District Communications Chief Abebe Agena said most of the dead were found buried in the soil. It is not yet clear how many families are affected.

During the rescue operation, one person was pulled alive from the mud, said Mesfin Manuka, director of Gamo’s disaster response zone.

Southern Ethiopia regional state president Tilahun Kebede expressed his grief over the tragedy and urged residents to move to higher ground as the rains continued.

“This is the rainy season and disasters like this may happen again, I am calling on the communities living in hilly and flood prone areas to take necessary precautions,” he said.

Floods caused by heavy rains have caused deaths, with much of East Africa witnessing heavy flooding in recent days.

Dozens of people died in neighboring Kenya after torrential rains lashed the capital Nairobi and other areas on Friday.

Mudslides and floods caused by heavy rains are common in Ethiopia, especially during the rainy season.

In July 2024, a deadly landslide triggered by heavy rains killed more than 250 people in southern Ethiopia.

Multiple studies have detected an increasing frequency of extreme wet and dry periods in East Africa over the past 20 years.

Scientists have long warned that human-driven climate change is increasing the likelihood, length and intensity of extreme weather events such as torrential rains.