At least 50 people have lost their lives in landslides in southern Ethiopia, according to local authorities.
The incidents occurred on Sunday evening and Monday morning following heavy rainfall in the remote mountainous area of the Gofa zone.
The search for survivors is ongoing, with officials cautioning that the “death toll could yet increase.”
Footage from the scene shows hundreds of people gathered, digging in the dirt in search of those trapped. A hillside is partially collapsed, exposing a large area of red earth.
Meskir Mitku, the general administrator of the Gofa zone, reported that the casualties included women, children, and police officers.
“There was a heavy rain yesterday [Sunday] night and some people died from a landslide,” said Gofa district government spokesperson Kassahun Abayneh.
He added, “In the morning [Monday], locals, including police, gathered at the site to save those who were affected by the first landslide.
That is when the second landslide happened around 10:00 [07:00 GMT] today and those who gathered there died,” as cited by AFP news agency.
Gofa is located about 320km (199 miles) southwest of the capital, Addis Ababa, in the Southern Ethiopia region, which has experienced particularly heavy rain and flooding recently, according to the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha).
Flooding and landslides in this area are not new. In May 2016, at least 50 people were killed following heavy rain across southern Ethiopia.
Climate change, resulting in a warming atmosphere, contributes to the increased likelihood of extreme rainfall.
The world has warmed by about 1.2C since the industrial era, and temperatures will continue to rise unless global emissions are significantly reduced.
Source-BBC
