Ethiopia flooding kills 66

[senorpepr]

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) -- Floods have killed 66 people in eastern Ethiopia and the death toll could rise further after a river burst its banks because of heavy rains, an aid worker said Tuesday.

Many of the victims were sleeping when crashing floodwaters hit 40 villages in Ethiopia's Somali region Saturday, destroying houses and sweeping families away, Ahmed Abdi of the U.N. World Food Program said by telephone from Gode in the Somali region.

The Wabe Shebelle, which is Ethiopia's largest river, burst its banks Saturday after two days of heavy rains, with floodwaters stretching 10 kilometers (6.2 miles), forcing survivors to flee their homes for the safety of higher ground, local officials said.

The Wabe Shebelle stretches 1,340 kilometers (833 miles) and has a water catchment area of 200,000 kilometers (124,280 miles).

Ahmed said 38 people had died in the Afder Zone of the Somali region and another 28 drowned in the Gode Zone.

"We need food, shelter and fuel to help the people," he said.

Rescuers are scrambling to reach the survivors in the remote region -- 700 kilometers (435 miles) southeast of the capital, Addis Ababa -- where many parts still remain cut off.

Local officials have also reported that some deaths have been caused by attacks from crocodiles that infest the river. Some survivors have been seen clinging to trees to escape the rising floodwaters, officials stated.

Ahmed said many areas still remained cut off, but two helicopters are expected to arrive later Tuesday to help rescuers. He said that in some areas the water level was decreasing, but weather forecasters say heavy rains and thunderstorms are expected through the weekend.

The Ethiopian government has also sent two Antonov aircraft with food and fuel to Gode.

Flooding regularly occurs at this time of the year in the Somali Region and residents there use the waters to regenerate soil for pasture. The last major floods there were in 2003 during which 119 people were killed.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/africa/04 ... index.html