At least 30 people have been killed and more than 200 injured after scaffolding collapsed during a religious gathering at the Arerti Mariam Church in Ethiopia’s central Minjar Sheknora district, around 70 km (45 miles) from Addis Ababa. The incident occurred early Sunday morning as thousands of Orthodox Christian worshippers assembled to mark the annual St. Mary feast, one of the most important events in the Ethiopian Orthodox calendar.
Local police inspector Ahmed Gebeyehu confirmed the fatalities, warning the number could rise as some victims remain trapped beneath the debris. The deceased, he said, ranged in age from 25 to 80. Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos and panic as a large wooden structure suddenly gave way, sending people fleeing in terror. “The sound of the collapse was deafening. People screamed and tried to escape, but many were caught under the rubble,” one survivor told local media. Emergency teams are still working to pull survivors from the wreckage, with severely injured victims transported to hospitals in Addis Ababa for advanced care.
The Ethiopian government expressed its condolences in a statement carried by the state-run Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC), urging stricter enforcement of safety measures in construction projects. “Safety must always be prioritized to prevent such devastating accidents,” the statement read. Construction-related disasters are not uncommon in Ethiopia, where safety standards are often poorly regulated. The tragedy has sparked renewed calls for tighter oversight, especially at religious sites that attract large crowds during major festivals.
