At least 55 people were killed on Monday as a result of landslides due to heavy rains in southern Ethiopia.

The local authorities said, in a statement, that the bodies of the victims were recovered as a result of the landslides that occurred in the Gofa area in the south of the country, noting that the victims included women and children and that the toll is likely to increase.

The statement added that rescue and relief operations were continuing, noting that a number of residents gathered to help police and relief personnel rescue those affected by the landslide, but they were all killed as a result of another landslide at the accident site.

During this period of each year, Ethiopia witnesses a heavy rainy season accompanied by floods, which often result in landslides that lead to many casualties.

Source: Qatar News Agency