A landslide in the Gamo Zone of southern Ethiopia earlier this week has killed at least 52 people, with another 50 reported missing, regional officials confirmed on Thursday.
The disaster occurred following heavy rainfall that destabilized hillsides in the area. “It has been confirmed that 52 people have lost their lives, and efforts are continuing intensively to locate 50 people whose whereabouts are unknown,” the Gamo Zone communications office said in a statement posted on Facebook.
The southern Ethiopia regional state office also confirmed the death toll at 52.
A photo shared by the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation on Facebook showed residents at the landslide site, with parts of a nearby hillside stripped of vegetation. Several people were pictured standing knee-deep in mud as search and recovery efforts continued.
Authorities are intensifying search operations to locate those still missing, while local communities are grappling with the aftermath of the disaster.
