The Ethiopian House of People’s Representatives (HoPR) announced today that it has declared three days of national mourning in honor of the victims of a mudslide in Ethiopia’s South Ethiopia Region.
The incident occurred in the region’s Gamo Zone, Begacha Baba district, Laka kebele.
Earlier on Thursday, the region’s communication bureau reported that a massive mudslide on Wednesday, following heavy rainfall, resulted in the deaths of more than 70 people and displaced several thousand others.
According to a HoPR decree statement, the death toll from the tragic mudslide has reached 80, while another 45 people remain missing.
The statement added that the Ethiopian national flag will be flown at half-mast across government institutions and embassies during the mourning period, which will run from March 14 to 16, 2026.
Mudslides and floods are commonplace in the region. Two years ago, another zone in the region, the Gofa Zone, was hit by a deadly mudslide that killed more than 200 people and displaced thousands.
Authorities have said they are currently carrying out search and rescue operations in the area.
