Local authorities announced that 146 people, including women and children, were killed in a landslide disaster caused by heavy rainfall in the mountainous region of Gofa in the south of the country. Dagmawi Ayele, a Gofa district official, said that young children and pregnant women were among those killed in the landslide.
Ayele, who stated that at least five people were rescued alive from the mud, said, “During the search and rescue efforts, we saw children who had lost their entire families, including their mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters, hugging the dead bodies.” .”
Misikir Mitiku, one of the officials, told state television that members of the search and rescue team may have been among those killed.
Kassahun Abayneh, Head of the Gofa District Communications Office, also stated that search and rescue operations were continuing in the region and that many rescue workers were buried in mud during the operations.
Landslides in southern Ethiopia usually occur during the rainy season between June and August. It was previously reported that at least 55 people lost their lives in the landslide disaster that occurred yesterday.
