The lives of at least 11 individuals were lost in a landslide in southern Ethiopia on Monday, not far from a similar incident that occurred last month, as reported by the local authority.
According to a statement on Facebook by the Wolaita Zone Government Communication Affairs Department, eleven bodies were discovered in the Kawo Koisha district of the Wolaita administrative zone, and efforts for search and rescue are currently ongoing. The department also cautioned that the number of casualties is expected to increase.
The affected area is situated northeast of Kencho Shacha Gozdi, a small locality in the South Ethiopia regional state. On July 21-22, mudslides occurred in this area, resulting in the deaths of over 250 individuals and impacting several thousand others.
Heavy seasonal rains have recently led to a series of landslides in southern Ethiopia.
Following the Kencho Shacha tragedy, six individuals lost their lives in the Gishere district in the neighbouring Sidama regional state, according to local officials.
Fana Broadcasting Corporate, a state-affiliated media outlet, reported on the Kawo Koisha landslide. It indicated that the South Ethiopia regional authorities had issued a warning about the risk of floods and landslides, urging residents to take necessary precautions.
Ethiopia, the second-most populous country in Africa, is highly susceptible to climate-related disasters.
UN figures show that over 21 million people, approximately 18% of the population, rely on humanitarian aid due to conflicts and climate-related disasters such as flooding or drought.