Floods Kill At Least 25 in Ethiopia

At least 25 people died in floods in eastern Ethiopia while over 200 were displaced, police said on Friday evening. Accordingly,19 of the 25 who died in the floods are children who were washed away while the floods hit Jijiga town in the Somali region of Ethiopia.

The incident began Thursday after midnight as the region celebrated the Ethiopian millennium at regional levels. According to police, floods hit the town of Jijiga after heavy rain poured in nearby Chinaksen village.

Jijiga is located some 700 km east of Addis Ababa along the border with Somalia, and was recently a scene of rebel attacks.

“The heavy rains caused a river to overflow and washed away 25 people, 19 of whom are children,” police said.

Heavy damage was also done to property in the town, the police who came in to help rescue people, said.

Over 200 people were rescued and are awaiting humanitarian assistance.

In the 2006 rainy season in Ethiopia, floods killed over 600 people and displaced over 400,000. Rainy season in Ethiopia starts in June and lasts until mid September.

Source African Press Agency

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