Heavy rains trigger landslide at Ethiopian monastery, 14 dead and many missing

Heavy rainfall caused a landslide early Monday morning at the Tsadqane Debre Mitmaq St. Mary Monastery in Ethiopia's Amhara region, collapsing rocks onto a crowd gathered for a holy-water ritual. The disaster claimed 14 lives and injured seven, and authorities say an unknown number of attendees remain missing beneath the rubble. Megabe Hadis Neka Tibeb Ababu, the diocese’s general manager, noted that most of the dead were participants in the ceremony.

Eleven bodies were interred at the monastery, while the remaining remains were sent to relatives’ towns, though identification of some victims remains difficult. Those with serious injuries were transported to Debre Birhan, about 70 km away, for medical care. A team from one outlet disaster prevention office has joined the search and rescue effort, coordinated by the regional administration’s communications office.