ADDIS ABABA, March 14 (Xinhua) -- The Ethiopian parliament declared a three-day national mourning starting from Saturday after more than 100 citizens lost their lives in a deadly landslide in southern Ethiopia.
During the national mourning period, the country's flags will fly at half-mast, including at all diplomatic missions abroad, to honor the victims of the disaster, the Ethiopian House of Peoples' Representatives, the lower chamber of parliament, said in a statement.
The landslide occurred on Tuesday night, as torrential rains triggered massive soil shifts in the Gamo Zone of the Southern Ethiopia Regional State.
Local authorities confirmed that the death toll from the landslide has risen to 102. The Gamo Zone Government Communication Affairs Department said that more than 3,400 residents have been displaced from the affected areas. Emergency efforts are currently focused on delivering food, shelter materials and other essential supplies to residents displaced by the disaster.
Local government officials are also assessing high-risk areas in the zone to prevent further disasters. Residents living in landslide-prone locations are being relocated to safer areas as a precautionary measure.
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Friday in a social media post that he is "deeply saddened by the loss of lives," noting that the WHO is "ready to support the government in providing emergency health services" to survivors. ■