A landslide triggered by heavy rainfall has killed at least 14 people at a monastery in Ethiopia’s Amhara region, with several others injured and an unknown number still missing. …reports Africa Daily News Desk
At least 14 people were killed and seven others injured after a landslide triggered by heavy rainfall struck a monastery in Ethiopia’s Amhara region on Monday, with an unknown number of worshippers still feared trapped beneath the debris.
The landslide occurred at Tsadqane Debre Mitmaq St. Mary Monastery, where hundreds of people had gathered for a holy water cleansing ritual, a religious practice believed to provide spiritual healing for chronic illnesses.
According to Megabe Hadis Neka Tibeb Ababu, general manager of the diocese, the disaster struck at around 7 a.m. local time while worshippers were assembled for the ceremony.
“The disaster occurred at approximately 7 a.m., and many of those who died had gathered to receive the holy water,” he said.
Ababu said 11 of the victims had already been buried at the monastery, while the bodies of the remaining victims were sent to their hometowns. He added that some of the deceased had yet to be identified.
The landslide occurred near a mountainside, where large rocks broke loose and crashed onto the gathering, intensifying the destruction.
Those seriously injured were taken to Debre Birhan, the capital of the North Shewa Administrative Zone, about 70 kilometres from the monastery, for medical treatment.
Local authorities said disaster prevention experts had been deployed to assist with search and rescue operations as efforts continued to locate those still missing beneath the rubble.
Heavy rainfall during Ethiopia’s annual rainy season, known locally as Kiremt, frequently triggers floods and landslides across the country between June and September.
The latest tragedy comes after a series of deadly weather-related disasters in Ethiopia. In July 2024, at least 257 people were killed in mudslides caused by heavy rains in southern Ethiopia, while another landslide earlier this year claimed more than 100 lives in the Gamo area.
Ethiopia has increasingly experienced extreme weather events linked to climate change. Combined with poor infrastructure in many rural communities, these conditions have left large parts of the country vulnerable to landslides, flooding and other natural disasters.
