By John Ikani
No fewer than 229 people have perished in a pair of landslides that struck a remote, mountainous region of Ethiopia’s Gofa zone, a local official confirmed to newsmen.
Triggered by heavy rains on Sunday evening and Monday morning, the landslides caused catastrophic damage. Local authorities stressed that search efforts are ongoing, but grimly acknowledged the “death toll could yet increase.”
Disturbing footage captured the aftermath of the disaster. Hundreds gathered at the scene, some desperately digging through the mud in a search for survivors.
A partially collapsed hillside with a vast expanse of exposed red earth served as a stark reminder of the event’s destructive power.
Dagmawi Ayele, Goza zone’s chief administrator, revealed to the BBC that both adults and children were among the deceased. He added that 10 survivors are currently receiving medical care at a nearby hospital.
The tragedy unfolded when heavy rains triggered a landslide on Sunday. As police officers, teachers, and local residents from nearby villages tirelessly pursued search-and-rescue efforts on Monday, a second landslide struck, burying them under the mud as well, according to Mr. Dagmawi.
“Search operations persist,” he emphasized to newsmen
Markos Melese, head of Gofa’s disaster management department, confirmed the recovery of 229 bodies so far.
Located roughly 320 kilometres southwest of the capital, Addis Ababa, Gofa lies within Ethiopia’s Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ Region.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has reported that southern Ethiopia has been particularly affected by heavy rainfall and flooding in recent months. However, the region has a history of such events.
In May 2016, at least 50 people lost their lives in floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains across the southern part of the country.
Flooding is a complex phenomenon with multiple contributing factors. However, a warming atmosphere caused by climate change increases the likelihood of extreme rainfall events.
Since the industrial era, global temperatures have risen by roughly 1.2 degrees Celsius, and unless significant emissions reductions are implemented by governments worldwide, these temperatures are projected to continue climbing.
