At least 30 people killed, 200 injured in Ethiopia due to church collapse – photos

At least 30 people have been killed and more than 200 injured in the collapse of scaffolding on a church in Ethiopia. This was reported by BBC, citing eyewitnesses and local police.

Thousands of worshippers gathered at the Church of the Holy Virgin Mary to celebrate the annual Orthodox Christian feast of the Virgin Mary.

According to local police inspector Ahmed Gebeyehu, the death toll may increase, as many people are still trapped under the rubble of the church.

Rescue operations are ongoing, and according to local authorities, the dead were aged 25 to 80 years old.

"A large part of the church collapsed – the sound of the wooden structure collapsing was loud and terrifying." Eyewitnesses describe the incident as sudden and chaotic as participants panicked to save their lives.

The Ethiopian government expressed "deep condolences for the damage caused by the collapse of scaffolding" and added that "safety must be prioritized" in all construction projects.

According to the BBC, Ethiopia has poorly enforced health and safety regulations and construction accidents are common.

• on September 6, Serbia's prosecutors charged 13 people with in connection with their involvement in the collapse of a railway station roof last year, which killed 16 people and sparked anti-government protests across the country.
• On September 30, Indonesia collapsed an Islamic school, killing dozens of children and workers.