At least 20 dead as landslide sweeps Yemen village

Sanaa // A landslide caused by heavy rain has swept through a village in south-western Yemen, killing at least 20 people, local media said on Monday.

Dozens of others were wounded and the death toll was likely to rise as rescue teams struggled to reach the village of Al Lassbah in a mountainous district of Taez province, the rebel-controlled Saba news agency said.

The area was hit by “heavy rain that caused a collapse of rocks on houses”, Saba reported, citing a local source.

Yemen is frequently hit by heavy downpours which trigger landslides and floods. In April, 24 people were killed in northern Yemen following heavy rain which caused a dam to burst.

Taez province is largely under the control of Shiite Houthi rebels who have seized large parts of Yemen, prompting a Saudi-led military intervention in support of the country’s internationally recognised government.

* Agence-France Presse