Ethiopia church scaffolding collapse kills 36 during religious festival

At least 36 people have died and dozens have been injured when the scaffolding that was set up at an Ethiopian church collapsed, according to state media.

The incident took place on Wednesday at around 7:45 am [4:45 GMT] in the town of Arerti in the Amhara region, which is located 70 kilometers (43 miles) east of Addis Ababa’s capital.

When the scaffolding fell, pilgrims were gathered at the Menjar Shenkora Arerti Mariam Church to observe the annual Virgin Mary festival.

According to district police chief Ahmed Gebeyehu, according to the AFP news agency, “the number of dead has reached 36 and could increase.”

Although it’s not yet known how many people have been injured, some reports suggest there may be as many as 200.

Atnafu Abate, a local official, did not provide information on rescue operations, telling the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC) that some people were still submerged.

He continued, some of the more serious injuries were taken to nearby hospitals.

The incident was described as a “tragic loss for the community,” according to Teshale Tilahun, the neighborhood manager.

Crowds gathered among the dense debris in images shared on the EBC’s official Facebook page that featured tangled wooden poles.

Other images appeared to show the church’s exterior, where precarious scaffolding had been constructed.

Ethiopia, the second-largest country in Africa, has the fewest health and safety regulations, and construction accidents are frequent.