A river in Ethiopia's highlands has burst it's banks after monsoon like rains, 11 people have been killed and hundreds more stranded.

The flooding from the Wabe Shebelle river in south-eastern Ethiopia has submerged over 100 villages. A regional relief official, Eremdan Haji, was quoted by the Ethiopian News Agency as saying:

"Inhabitants in 116 villages in an area covering a 90km (56 mile) radius have been stranded on hills surrounded by the flood water. Efforts to rescue hundreds of stranded people have become almost impossible due to the extent of land covered by the flood."

Around 6,000 head of livestock and 2,500 hectares of crop were destroyed, the official added, saying the government had sent 18,000 tonnes of food aid to the region near Somalia.