ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — A landslide Monday triggered by heavy rainfall in Ethiopia’s Amhara region killed 14 people and injured seven others, while an unknown number of people remain unaccounted for as search and rescue efforts continue.
The landslide occurred at Tsadqane Debre Mitmaq St. Mary Monastery, where hundreds of worshippers had gathered for a holy water cleansing ritual that is popular among people seeking spiritual healing for chronic illnesses.
“The disaster occurred at approximately 7 a.m., and many of those who died had gathered to receive the holy water,” Megabe Hadis Neka Tibeb Ababu, the diocese’s general manager, told The Associated Press.
He said an unknown number of people are still believed to be trapped beneath the debris.
“Of the dead, 11 have already been buried at the monastery, while the remains of the others were sent to their hometowns,” he said, adding that it remained difficult to identify some of the victims.
Those who sustained serious injuries were taken to Debre Birhan, the capital of North Shewa Administrative Zone, about 70 kilometers (43 miles) from the monastery.
The landslide occurred near a mountain, where massive rocks broke loose and crashed onto the worshippers, worsening the disaster.
A team of experts from the local disaster prevention office has been deployed to assist search and rescue operations, the local administration’s communications office said in a statement.
Mudslides and flooding caused by heavy rainfall have become increasingly common in Ethiopia, particularly during the rainy season, locally known as Kiremt, which typically runs from June to September.
In July 2024, a deadly mudslide triggered by heavy rains killed at least 257 people in southern Ethiopia. Earlier this year, more than 100 people also died in a similar mudslide in Gamo, in southern Ethiopia.
The Horn of Africa nation has been increasingly affected by extreme weather events linked to climate change. Poor infrastructure, particularly in rural areas, has left many communities highly vulnerable to flooding, landslides, and recurring droughts, with limited capacity to respond to such disasters.
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