Emirates 24/7 —The death toll from floods and landslides in a densely populated mountainous area in southern Ethiopia has risen to 64.
Ethiopian police said the number of people reported missing following the floods in the Gamo area in the south of the country has reached 128, adding that 64 bodies have been recovered.
Authorities in the Gamo area reported that 128 people remain missing following the disaster, triggered by torrential seasonal rains. Abebe Agena, the communication chief for the Gacho Baba district, stated that most of the victims were found buried in deep mud, adding that the full extent of the impact on households is still being assessed.
In a rare moment of hope, Mesfin Manuqa, the Gamo Zone director of disaster response, confirmed that one survivor was pulled alive from the mud during rescue operations. However, Tilahun Kebede, president of the South Ethiopia Regional State, warned that the danger is not over. "I am calling on communities living in the highlands and flood-prone areas to take necessary precautions," Kebede said, urging residents to move to higher ground as heavy rains continue across East Africa.
The disaster follows a pattern of extreme weather in the region; dozens were also killed in neighbouring Kenya on Friday after torrential rain hit Nairobi. This tragedy echoes a deadly mudslide in July 2024 that killed over 250 people in southern Ethiopia, as studies highlight the increasing frequency of extreme climate events in East Africa over the last two decades.