At least 14 people have died after a landslide struck a mountain monastery during an overnight prayer gathering in Ethiopia’s northern Amhara region.
The tragedy occurred in the early hours of Monday when a hillside collapsed onto the Tsadqane Debre Mitmaq St. Mary Monastery, where worshippers had gathered for a special Orthodox Christian prayer service.
According to local authorities, the monastery includes a prayer chamber carved into the mountainside. Heavy rainfall throughout the night caused the slope above the cave to give way, burying worshippers beneath mud and debris.
A senior local official, Dagnachew Azbite, said continuous rainfall triggered the collapse, while rescue teams recovered 14 bodies from the scene. Seven other people were injured, with five reported to be in critical condition.
The overnight service included a holy water cleansing ritual, a cherished tradition among Ethiopian Orthodox Christians, particularly for people seeking spiritual healing from chronic illnesses. Church officials said many of the victims had gathered specifically to participate in the ritual.
Eleven of the deceased have since been buried at the monastery, while the remaining bodies were returned to their hometowns for burial. Authorities noted that identifying some of the victims proved difficult due to the nature of the disaster.
Search and rescue efforts involved emergency responders, security personnel, healthcare workers and local residents. However, officials have now ended the operation after concluding that no more survivors were likely to be found beneath the debris.
The head of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church’s North Shewa Diocese, Archbishop Abune Klementos, visited the monastery to lead funeral prayers, comfort grieving families and pray for those injured. Landslides are a recurring threat in Ethiopia during the country’s main rainy season, which typically lasts from June to August.
Earlier this year, more than 100 people were killed by floods and landslides in the southern Gamo Zone, while a devastating landslide in the neighbouring Geze Gofa Zone in July 2024 claimed more than 229 lives, including rescue workers.
Scientists have warned that climate change is contributing to increasingly frequent and intense rainfall across East Africa, raising the risk of destructive floods and landslides throughout the region.
