At least 146 people died in a landslide in southern Ethiopia.

Residents buried in a landslide in a mountain village in southern Ethiopia
[Isayas Churga/Gofa Regional Government Public Relations Office via AP=Yonhap News]

(Yonhap News) By Hyunmin Yoo, Correspondent in Johannesburg = At least 146 people were reported dead in a landslide in the mountainous region of southern Ethiopia, according to reports by AP and AFP on the 23rd local time.

According to the reports, the landslide occurred due to heavy rain in a mountain village of Gofa, located about 450 km southwest of the capital, Addis Ababa, around 10 a.m. the previous day.

As of this morning, the death toll has risen to 146, including 96 males and 50 females, during ongoing search and rescue operations. Some of the casualties reportedly include children and pregnant women, and the death toll may rise further as search and rescue operations continue.

It was also reported that at least 5 individuals were rescued alive from the mudslide.

Landslides frequently occur during the rainy season in Ethiopia from July to mid-September.

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