At least 30 people have lost their lives and more than 200 others have been injured after scaffolding gave way during a major religious gathering at a church in Ethiopia’s central region.
The tragic incident occurred early in the morning at Arerti Mariam church in Minjar Sheknora, around 70 kilometres from the capital Addis Ababa, where thousands of worshippers had assembled for the annual Orthodox Christian celebration of St Mary.
Local police inspector Ahmed Gebeyehu told BBC Amharic that the structure collapsed while the crowd was inside the church compound. He said those confirmed dead were aged between 25 and 80, and warned that the number of casualties could rise as more people were still trapped beneath the debris.
Emergency teams were at the scene conducting rescue operations as local authorities called for calm. Eyewitnesses described the scene as sudden and frightening, with people scrambling to get out.
“A large section of the church collapsed - the sound of the wooden structure giving way was loud and terrifying,” said one eyewitness.
Several of the injured have been rushed to Addis Ababa for specialised medical care.
In a message shared through the state-run Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC), the government offered “deep condolences for the damage caused by the collapse of the scaffolding” and emphasised that “safety must be given priority” during all construction works.
Weak enforcement of health and safety rules has often led to construction accidents in Ethiopia, with this incident adding to a growing list of disasters linked to unsafe building practices.