ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Ethiopia declared three days of mourning starting Saturday for victims of landslides that killed at least 80 people in the southern Gamo Zone, with dozens still missing, officials said Friday.
The death toll climbed as search and recovery teams worked through heavy rain that continued to pound the area, hampering efforts, according to the government. The landslides were triggered by days of intense rainfall.
The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission reported that 3,461 people were displaced by the disaster. Regional government communications head Hailemariam Tesfaye said the search for remaining victims was intensified despite the weather conditions.
The government has mobilized resources in coordination with regional authorities, and donations from private citizens and businesses are flowing into a relief fund, the Government Communication Service said.
The tragedy comes as heavy rains have also battered East Africa. In neighboring Kenya, the death toll from Saturday’s flash floods rose to 62, officials reported. The IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre warned that the March–April–May rainy season has a 45% chance of above-average rainfall across much of the region, including Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, South Sudan, northern Somalia, and Djibouti. Governments have urged residents to exercise caution.