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Ethiopia church scaffold collapse kills at least 22 and injures dozens
At least 22 people were killed and 55 others injured on Wednesday after a wooden scaffold collapsed inside a church in Ethiopia, according to the state broadcaster EBC. The tragic incident occurred in Arerti, a town about 60 kilometers east of Addis Ababa, during a religious ceremony.
Local officials reported that some victims remained trapped under the debris, while several of the injured were rushed to hospitals in the capital. Images shared by public television showed collapsed planks inside the church and worshippers attempting to rescue those caught in the wreckage.
The temporary structure, built to support finishing work on the church, gave way around 7:45 a.m. local time. The Amhara region, where the accident occurred, is Ethiopia’s second most populous area.
Ethiopia, home to around 130 million people, is one of the world’s oldest Christian nations. Its Axumite Empire adopted Christianity as a state religion in the 4th century, contemporaneously with the Roman Empire.