Two landslides hit Ethiopia’s Gofa district, up to 500 feared dead
Image credit: Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation
Two landslides hit the same area in southern Ethiopia on July 21 and 22, 2024, killing at least 257 people in the Gofa Zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ Region (SNNPR).
- The first landslide, triggered by heavy rains on Sunday night, July 21, claimed several lives. This triggered rescue efforts on Monday morning when a second landslide struck, killing many of the rescuers, including women, children, and local police officers.
“There was a heavy rain yesterday night and some people died from a landslide,” said Kassahun Abayneh, the government spokesperson for Gofa district in the South Ethiopia regional state.
The situation worsened on Monday morning when locals, including police officers, gathered at the site to rescue those affected by the first landslide.
At around 10:00 local time (07:00 UTC), a second landslide struck, killing many of the gathered rescuers and further devastating the area.
Local chief Dagmawi Zerihun said more than 55 bodies were found, adding that the death toll could increase as search and rescue efforts continue.
Meskir Mitku, the district general administrator of Gofa district, reported that among the dead were women, children, and local police officers.
Ethiopia is currently experiencing its rainy season, which began in July and is anticipated to continue until mid-September.
Updates
06:42 UTC, July 24
The death toll from this disaster increased to 229 late July 23 and there are fears more people are still under the rubble.
“I don’t know when it will stop. We are still recovering bodies,” Markos Melese, head of the National Disaster Response agency in Gofa, said on July 23.
15:18 UTC, July 25
The death toll has risen to 257 by late July 24 and is expected to rise to up to 500, according to local authorities.
UN OCHA said more than 15 000 people need to be evacuated because of the high risk of further landslides, including at least 1 320 children under the age of five and 5 293 pregnant women or new mothers.
References:
1 At least 50 bodies pulled from mud after southern Ethiopia landslide – Reuters – July 22, 2024
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