Makeshift scaffolding set up at a church in Ethiopia collapsed on Wednesday, killing at least 36 people and injuring more than 200, state media said.
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The incident occurred at around 7.45am in the town of Arerti, roughly 70km (40 miles) east of capital Addis Ababa, when a group was visiting for an annual Virgin Mary festival.
District police chief Ahmed Gebeyehu told state media Fana: “The number of dead has reached 36 and could increase”, adding “more than 200 people have suffered injuries” and were receiving treatment at a local hospital.
Some people remained under the rubble, local official Atnafu Abate told the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC), without giving further details about those trapped or possible rescue efforts.
He said some of the more seriously injured were taken to hospitals in the capital.
Images shared on the EBC’s official social media page showed a mess of collapsed wooden poles, with crowds gathering amid the dense debris.