Scaffolding collapse at Ethiopian church kills dozens

Worshipers had gathered at the church construction site in Amhara for the Orthodox feast of St. Mary

Dozens of worshippers in Ethiopia have been killed and scores injured after scaffolding supporting a church building under construction collapsed in the East African country’s Amhara region, according to the authorities.

The accident occurred at Arerti Mariam Church in Menjar Shenkora district on Wednesday morning during a packed gathering for the annual Orthodox Christian feast of St. Mary.

Witnesses cited by AP said some worshippers had climbed the scaffolding inside the church to view a ceiling mural before it collapsed.

Fatality estimates vary. Ethiopian state broadcaster Fana said the collapse “resulted in the loss of many lives and left more than 200 others injured.” At least 25 people were confirmed dead and more than 100 injured, according to local officials and medics quoted by AP, who warned the toll could rise as the wounded are treated and families report missing relatives. Other accounts put the death count at 30 or more and injuries above 200, as rescuers work through splintered beams and debris.

In a statement published by Fana, the government offered “deep condolences for the damage caused by the collapse of the scaffolding,” and insisted that “safety must be given priority” in all construction across the country.

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The tragedy is the latest in a string of deadly mishaps at mass religious gatherings in Africa’s second-most populous country. In 2020, during Timkat, the Ethiopian Orthodox celebration of Epiphany marking the baptism of Jesus, a wooden platform collapsed in Gondar in the northern Amhara region, with reports putting the toll at 10 dead and up to 250 injured.

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The Amhara region has endured repeated security crises in recent years, straining local services and emergency response. Last month, the non-profit group Amhara Association of America reported that clashes between Fano militias and federal-allied forces had flared up across multiple zones in Amhara, with incidents of fighting and abuses recorded in more than three dozen districts.