The death toll from floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains in three woredas of the Gamo Zone in southern Ethiopia has risen to at least 102.

The official death toll, initially reported at just over 30, has steadily risen over the past 24 hours. The Gamo Zone communications office said 102 people are now believed to have died.

Regional police said the worst of the landslides in three woredas of the Gamo Zone struck Mazo Doysa kebele in Gacho Baba woreda, where 59 bodies have so far been recovered from thick mud and debris.

Officials said the disaster followed sustained rainfall in surrounding districts.

The town of Arba Minch and neighbouring areas have experienced continuous downpours for two days, causing widespread damage to homes, infrastructure and farmland. The landslide occurred shortly after midnight on March 11, following the intense rainfall, said Tesfatsion Zenebe, an official in the Gamo Zone.

Highland areas in southern Ethiopia are particularly vulnerable to landslides during the country’s rainy season, when prolonged rainfall weakens soil and destabilizes slopes.

In July 2024, a deadly mudslide caused by heavy rain killed more than 250 people in southern Ethiopia.