A day after joyous religious celebrations, the town of Arerti in Ethiopia was thrown into deep mourning as mass funerals were held for 36 people who lost their lives in a tragic church scaffolding collapse. The disaster struck during festivities at the St Mariam Orthodox Christian Church, leaving families devastated and the community shaken.
Hundreds of mourners gathered on Thursday to bury their loved ones. Coffins draped in colorful cloth were carried solemnly into the compound of a nearby church as clerics led Orthodox Christian burial rituals. The grief was palpable, with families and friends struggling to come to terms with the sudden loss. Among the mourners was 22-year-old Fikre Tilahun, who lost his mother in the collapse. Fighting back tears, he told the BBC, “It’s difficult to lose your mother, very difficult.” He recounted how he frantically searched hospitals and health centers after hearing of the tragedy, only to receive the devastating confirmation that his mother was among the victims.
The St Mariam Church, where the accident occurred, was still under construction at the time of the incident. Despite its unfinished state, large numbers of worshippers had gathered on Wednesday to celebrate the annual Orthodox Christian feast of St Mariam. Witnesses say many attendees were eager to see a newly painted mural on the ceiling and began climbing onto temporary wooden scaffolding inside the church. According to eyewitness Gebreweld Tesfaye, the wooden staircase and platforms were overwhelmed by the sheer weight of the crowd. “There were many people going upstairs. The structure gave way, leading to the collapse,” he explained.
In the aftermath, chaos erupted inside the church. Survivors described scenes of panic as worshippers scrambled to escape, while others tried desperately to rescue those trapped beneath the collapsed wood and debris. Emergency services rushed to the site, pulling victims from the wreckage and transporting the injured to nearby health facilities. Authorities confirmed that about 200 people sustained injuries, with many in critical condition. Some of the most seriously injured have been transferred to Addis Ababa, approximately 70 kilometers away, for advanced medical treatment. Officials have warned that the death toll could rise further.
Local church leaders expressed sorrow at the devastating loss of life. Archbishop Megabi Hadis Nekatibeb of the local diocese described the incident as “incredibly tragic and heartbreaking”, calling on Ethiopians to stand in solidarity with the grieving families.
The collapse has raised questions about construction safety and crowd management in religious spaces, especially during large annual festivals that draw thousands of worshippers. For the people of Arerti, however, the focus remains on mourning those who were lost and supporting the survivors. The disaster has cast a long shadow over what should have been a joyous religious occasion, turning it into one of the darkest days the community has faced in recent memory.
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