Landslides kill at least 102 people in Gamo Zone, Ethiopia
Rain-triggered landslides in Gamo Zone, southern Ethiopia, killed at least 52 people earlier this week, with officials saying on March 12, 2026, that dozens of others were still missing. Authorities said rescue teams were continuing the search for missing people as the risk of additional slope failures remained elevated.
Satellite image acquired at 05:20 UTC on March 9, 2026. Credit: EUMETSAT/Meteosat, Zoom Earth, The Watchers
Rain-triggered landslides in Gamo Zone, southern Ethiopia, killed at least 52 people earlier this week, according to statements released by regional authorities on Thursday, March 12. Search operations were still underway after the slope failures, which followed heavy rainfall across the area.
Reuters reported that the Gamo Zone communications office said 52 people had been confirmed dead and that 50 others were missing. The South Ethiopia regional state office also gave a death toll of 52.
Other official figures in circulation on the same day were not fully aligned. The Associated Press (AP), citing Gamo Zone disaster response director Mesfin Manuqa, reported that at least 50 people had been killed and 125 were missing across three districts, while Al Jazeera later reported police figures of at least 64 deaths and 128 missing.
The affected areas include Gacho Baba, Kamba, and Bonke districts, according to AP. Rescue teams were continuing search operations in terrain made unstable by persistent rainfall, and AP reported that at least one person had been pulled out alive from the mud.
Regional authorities also warned residents in highland and flood-prone areas to relocate because continued rain could trigger additional landslides. The warning indicates the hazard was still active on March 12, with the immediate risk extending beyond the initial slope failures.
The event developed after about a week of heavy rain. In steep and rain-saturated terrain, prolonged precipitation can weaken slopes and increase the likelihood of ground failure, especially where access is limited, and rescue operations are already underway.
Update
15:20 UTC, March 13
The Gamo Zone communications office said at least 102 people are now believed to have died.
The worst landslides struck Mazo Doysa kebele in Gacho Baba woreda, where 59 bodies have so far been recovered, according to regional police reports cited by the Ethiopia Observer.
Teo Blašković founded The Watchers in 2011 and edited it until 2026, covering seismic and volcanic activity, extreme weather, space weather and near-Earth objects. Articles on this page are his archive.
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