At least 64 killed, dozens reported missing in Ethiopia landslides, floods

Authorities have said most of those who died were found buried in mud.Published On 12 Mar 2026The death toll from landslides and flooding in the Gamo Zone of southern Ethiopia has risen to at least 64, with dozens more people missing, police have said.“The number of people missing due to the recent flood in Gamo Zone has reached 128, and according to the latest information, 64 bodies have been found,” said the Ethiopia-regional-state-police-commission" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="43416" data-entity-type="organization">Ethiopia-regional-state" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="43237" data-entity-type="location">South Ethiopia Regional State Police Commission in a statement on Facebook on Thursday.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Are African ‘water wars’ on the horizon as AU puts the issue on its agenda?list 2 of 3At least 42 people killed in days of floods across Kenyalist 3 of 3Heavy rains flood Gaza tents as Israel kills two more Palestiniansend of listThe Gacho Baba district communication chief, Abebe Agena, said most of those who died were found buried in mud. It is not yet clear how many households were affected.Gamo Zone director of disaster response Mesfin Manuqa said that one person was pulled out of mud alive during rescue operations.Tilahun Kebede, president of the Ethiopia-regional-state" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="43237" data-entity-type="location">South Ethiopia Regional State, expressed his sorrow over the disaster and urged residents to move to higher ground as rains continue.“Given that it is the rainy season and these types of disasters could happen again, I am calling on communities living in the highlands and flood-prone areas to take the necessary precautions,” he said.Flooding caused by heavy rains has led to the deaths, with most of East Africa seeing heavy flooding in recent days.Dozens were killed in neighbouring Kenya after torrential rain hit the capital, Nairobi, and other areas on Friday.Mudslides and floods caused by heavy rainfall are common in Ethiopia, especially during the rainy season.In July 2024, a deadly mudslide caused by heavy rain killed more than 250 people in southern Ethiopia.