Ethiopia landslide at Amhara monastery kills 14, dozens injured

Heavy rainfall triggered a landslide on 3 August in Ethiopia’s Amhara region, sending rocks and mud onto the Tsadqane Debre Mitmaq St. Mary Monastery where worshippers were gathered for a holy‑water cleansing ritual. Fourteen people were confirmed dead and between five and seven were injured; officials said an unknown number remain missing as rescue teams continue excavation.

The deceased were largely buried at the monastery, while the seriously injured were taken to hospitals in Debre Birhan, about 70 km away. The disaster highlights the vulnerability of remote religious sites during the country’s rainy season, which has become increasingly intense amid climate‑related extreme weather.

Local disaster‑prevention officials have been deployed to assist search and rescue operations, and the incident adds to a series of recent mudslides in Ethiopia that have claimed hundreds of lives this year.