Landslide & Flood Kills Dozens in Southern Ethiopia's Gamo Zone

Floods and landslides triggered by days of heavy rain in southern Ethiopia have killed at least 64 people in the Gamo Zone, with dozens still missing as authorities warn that further disasters remain possible.

Local police inspector Abraham Buha said the fatalities were recorded across several highland districts where saturated slopes collapsed after prolonged rainfall.

Earlier in the week, officials reported the death toll at more than 30, but the figure rose to at least 64 as rescue teams recovered additional bodies and assessed damage across affected communities.

Authorities say many victims died in mountainous areas where unstable soil conditions increased the risk of landslides following continuous downpours.

Much of the destruction occurred in the highlands of the Gamo Zone, where steep terrain and prolonged rainfall created dangerous conditions. Officials reported that the town of Arba Minch and surrounding districts experienced two consecutive days of heavy rain, triggering floods that damaged homes, farmland and infrastructure.

Mudslides also blocked major roads while several bridges were flooded, limiting access to affected communities and complicating rescue efforts.

Emergency response teams have been deployed to monitor the situation as authorities warn that additional landslides remain possible if rainfall continues. Residents in vulnerable areas have been urged to take precautionary measures and remain alert for further slope collapses or flash flooding.

The disaster in Ethiopia is part of a broader pattern of extreme weather across East Africa, where recent storms have triggered floods and landslides in multiple countries. In neighboring Kenya, dozens of people have also died in flooding linked to the same regional weather system.

Meteorologists say unusually intense rainfall events are becoming more frequent across the region. Over the past two decades, scientific studies have documented a rise in both extreme rainfall episodes and prolonged drought periods in East Africa.

Researchers increasingly attribute these shifts to human-driven climate change, which can intensify storms and lead to longer and heavier downpours.

The latest flooding comes less than two years after another major landslide disaster in southern Ethiopia. In July 2024, more than 229 people, including rescue workers, were killed in a landslide in the nearby Geze Gofa Zone, one of the deadliest natural disasters recorded in the region.

That event also followed sustained rainfall that destabilized hillsides and triggered sudden slope collapses.

Officials say the recurrence of such disasters highlights the vulnerability of mountainous communities to extreme weather conditions.

South Ethiopia Regional State governor Tilahun Kebede previously expressed condolences after the initial fatalities were reported earlier this week.

“On behalf of myself and the regional government, I express my deep sorrow over the loss of 30 lives due to landslides and floods in the highlands of Gamo Zone caused by heavy rains,” he said in a statement.

Authorities say they are continuing to assess damage and monitor rainfall patterns as the risk of further flooding persists across the region.