In the aftermath of a religious festival, the small Ethiopian town of Arerti was plunged into mourning as mass funerals were held for 36 victims who perished in a tragic scaffolding collapse at the St Mariam Church. The incident occurred during the annual Orthodox Christian celebration of St Mariam, where worshippers had gathered in the still-under-construction church. Eyewitnesses reported that a significant number of people climbed onto the makeshift wooden scaffolding to view a newly painted mural on the church ceiling, leading to the structure’s collapse. Among the victims was the mother of 22-year-old Fikre Tilahun, who expressed his profound grief, stating, ‘It’s difficult to lose your mother, very difficult.’ The disaster left about 200 people injured, with some in critical condition being transferred to Addis Ababa for treatment. The local archbishop, Megabi Hadis Nekatibeb, described the event as ‘incredibly tragic and heart-breaking.’ The Ethiopian government extended its condolences to the victims’ families and emphasized the importance of safety in construction projects. This incident highlights the ongoing issue of poorly enforced health and safety regulations in Ethiopia, where construction disasters are unfortunately common.
Scaffolding collapsed as people climbed to see Ethiopia church mural, eyewitness tells BBC
