Thousands of worshippers were gathered at the Arerti Mariam church early in the morning when the structure fell, local police inspector Ahmed Gebeyehu told BBC Amharic. The crowd had visited the church, in the central Minjar Sheknora area, as part of the annual Orthodox Christian celebration of St Mary. Mr Ahmed said the death toll might increase, adding that those confirmed deceased were aged between 25 and 80. "A large section of the church collapsed - the sound of the wooden structure giving way was loud and terrifying," said one eyewitness. A government statement shared by the state-run Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC) expressed "deep condolences for the damage caused by the collapse of the scaffolding". The statement also stressed that "safety must be given priority" during all construction projects. Health and safety regulations are poorly enforced in Ethiopia and construction disasters are common. (BBC)