At least 13 people have died in a landslide triggered by heavy rains in southern Ethiopia’s Wolaita region, and the number of fatalities is likely to rise, a local official reported on Monday.

Samuel Fola, the zone chief administrator of Wolaita, noted that over 300 people have been evacuated from Kindo Didaye district, with the number of missing persons still unknown.

“Children are among the deceased,” Fola said. “We have evacuated more than 300 people as a precaution and in anticipation of a possible major landslide.”

A vigorous rescue effort is currently underway in Wolaita, according to the regional government.

Monday’s landslide was less devastating than one that occurred last month in another southern Ethiopian area, which claimed over 200 lives.

Landslides frequently occur during Ethiopia’s rainy season, which began in July and is expected to last until mid-September.

The mountainous areas of Wolaita, with their limited infrastructure, are particularly susceptible to such incidents.
In 2016, a deadly mudslide in the same area resulted in over 41 deaths and displaced hundreds.

Last month, a major mudslide in the neighboring Gamo Gofa region led to more than 229 deaths, with the United Nations Office for Human Rights (OCHA) estimating that the toll could reach up to 500.

Deadly mudslides are common across the broader East African region, from Uganda’s eastern mountains to Kenya’s central highlands. In April, flash floods and a landslide in Kenya’s Rift Valley region killed at least 45 people, damaging homes and cutting off a major road.