A church scaffolding fall in Ethiopia kills at least 36 people

A wooden scaffolding collapsed beneath the attendees of a religious event in central Ethiopia, killing at least 36 people and injuring over 200 more, according to a witness and authorities.

In Minjar Shenkora Woreda, North Shewa Zone of the Amhara Region, the temporary wooden building collapsed on Wednesday due to the weight of worshippers, according to Ahmed Gebeyehu, the local police commander, who spoke to state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting.

According to Gebeyehu, several of the injured were still in critical condition, therefore the death toll could increase.

“The scaffolding collapsing was the cause of the damage. It simply crushed those below. “Those in the center died, while some on the edges fled outside,” survivor Tadesse Tesfaye said.

A day after the event, a pile of the victims’ sandals and shoes was found adjacent to snapped scaffolding poles and damaged masonry. Beneath the newly painted dome of the cathedral, the twisted remnants of the scaffold were still visible.