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Ethiopia landslide at Amhara's Tsadqane Debre Mitmaq St Mary Monastery kills 14
BBC • • world
Key Points:
- A landslide struck the Tsadqane Debre Mitmaq St Mary Monastery in Ethiopia's Amhara region during an overnight prayer service, killing 14 people and injuring seven, with five seriously wounded.
- The hillside above the monastery collapsed after heavy rainfall, trapping worshippers gathered for a holy water cleansing ritual popular among Orthodox Christians seeking spiritual healing.
- Rescue operations have been halted, and identifying some victims remains challenging; funeral prayers were led by Archbishop Abune Klementos, with burials conducted both at the monastery and victims' hometowns.
- Landslides are common during Ethiopia's rainy season (June-August), with recent years seeing deadly incidents linked to climate change-driven extreme weather events across East Africa.
- The disaster highlights ongoing concerns about the increasing frequency and severity of weather-related hazards in the region due to human-driven climate change.
