Fourteen people were killed and five others injured in a landslide that buried worshippers at a monastery in Ethiopia’s northern Amhara region, the head of the diocese told AFP on Tuesday.

The Horn of Africa nation, home to around 130 million people, is experiencing heavy rainfall during the longer of its rainy seasons, which runs from June to September.

The landslide occurred in Sela Dingay, about 200 kilometres northeast of the capital, Addis Ababa.

Megabe Hadis Neka Tibeb Ababu, the diocesan head, said the landslide happened early on Monday “after very heavy overnight rainfall accompanied by lightning and thunder”.

The mudslide carrying rocks swept down a hillside and buried part of the Tsadkane Mariam Orthodox monastery.

“Fourteen worshippers who were praying in the monastery were killed instantly by the disaster. Three people who were severely injured were taken to Debre Birhan Hospital and are still receiving treatment,” he said, adding that the death toll was “final”.

On Monday, local authorities in North Shewa zone, where Sela Dingay is located, also reported the deaths of 14 people in what they described as an “earthquake and a sudden landslide”, without providing further details.

Ethiopia, where more than three-quarters of the population lives in rural areas, is frequently affected by climate-related disasters.

In July 2024, at least 257 people were killed in a landslide in the south of the country, while 80 others died in floods and landslides in the same region in March.