At Least 30 Dead and Over 200 Injured After Church Scaffolding Collapses

At least 30 people have been killed after scaffolding collapsed at a church in Ethiopia.

According to the BBC and the Associated Press, the incident occurred at Arerti Mariam Church in Amhara early in the morning of Wednesday, Oct. 1.

Thousands of worshippers had gathered at the church, which is north of the country’s capital Addis Ababa, for an annual event celebrating St. Mary, per the BBC.

Local police inspector Ahmed Gebeyehu told BBC Amharic that those confirmed dead were aged between 25 and 80, and the death toll could increase, with many still trapped under the rubble.

More than 200 people were also injured in the incident.

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Seyoum Altaye, a clinician at a local hospital, told the AP that some of the victims are children, while local administrator Teshale Tilahun said that it was “a tragic loss for the community.”

An eyewitness told the BBC that “a large section of the church collapsed.” “The sound of the wooden structure giving way was loud and terrifying,” they said.

According to a witness, per AP, worshippers had climbed up the wooden structure to view a ceiling when the scaffolding collapsed.

“We all had gathered in prayers when all of a sudden the scaffolding collapsed and people starting falling from the ceiling,” witness Mikias Mebratu, who lost three of his friends, said, per the outlet.

A government statement shared by the state-run Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC) shared “deep condolences for the damage caused by the collapse of the scaffolding”.

The statement added that “safety must be given priority” during all construction.