A landslide struck Tsadqane Debre Mitmaq St. Mary Monastery in Ethiopia’s Amhara region on Monday, resulting in 14 confirmed deaths and seven injuries. The incident occurred at approximately 7 a.m. during a religious gathering where attendees had assembled for a holy water cleansing ritual. Such rituals draw participants who seek spiritual healing for chronic illnesses, according to local religious practices.
The disaster was triggered by heavy rainfall that caused massive rocks to break loose from a nearby mountain, crashing down onto the assembled worshippers. An unknown number of individuals remain unaccounted for, with search and rescue operations continuing. According to Megabe Hadis Neka Tibeb Ababu, the diocese’s general manager, many of those killed had gathered to receive the holy water. He noted that identification of some victims has proven difficult.
Among the deceased, 11 were buried at the monastery, while remains of the other victims were sent to their hometowns. Those with serious injuries were transported to Debre Birhan, located approximately 70 kilometers from the monastery. Local disaster prevention authorities deployed a team of experts to assist with ongoing search and rescue efforts.
This incident represents one of several recent weather-related disasters in Ethiopia. The nation experiences a rainy season locally termed Kiremt, which typically extends from June through September and frequently produces mudslides and flooding. In July 2024, a separate mudslide killed at least 257 people in southern Ethiopia, and earlier in the current year, over 100 deaths resulted from a similar event in Gamo. Experts attribute Ethiopia’s increasing vulnerability to extreme weather events to climate change, compounded by inadequate infrastructure in rural areas that limits disaster response capacity.
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