A day after celebratory religious observances, mass burial services took place in the small East African community of the local area for the 36 people killed when temporary framework inside an Orthodox Christian church buckled.
Hundreds grieving individuals walked with coffins draped in vibrant cloth into the compound of a adjacent church while religious leaders performed funerary rituals in the wake of the catastrophe at St Mariam Church.
Among the mourners was young adult a local resident, who stated that he had lost his parent in the disaster.
"It's difficult to be separated from your parent, very difficult," he said.
Although the church is currently being built, people had gathered in the structure on midweek during the yearly Orthodox Christian celebration of the religious figure.
Eyewitness Account of Events
Firsthand observer a local man reported that a considerable number of worshippers chose to climb onto the temporary structure to view a recently completed artwork on the ceiling of the building when disaster struck.
"The staircase was completely made of wood, and there were numerous individuals moving upstairs at the time. As the worshippers were proceeding, the framework collapsed, causing the failure," Mr Gebreweld explained.
Other eyewitnesses said that pandemonium ensued, as individuals scattered in fear or attempted to rescue the lives of individuals pinned beneath the rubble.
Individual Tragedy
Mr Fikre stated that as soon as he heard of the disaster, he hurried to the site, and then to a medical facility to look for his mother, but she was not at either place.
"A relative contacted me after that. And then I went to the hospital. She was present," Mr Fikre expressed.
She was among the 36 deceased, with emergency services saying that the fatalities could increase as a portion of the wounded, totaling approximately 200, were in serious condition. Some of them have been moved to Addis Ababa, approximately 45 miles away, for treatment.
Official Reaction
The archbishop of the regional religious district, the senior cleric, described the disaster as "incredibly tragic and sorrowful".
Mr Fikre stated existence would not be the same for him and his younger brother without their parent.
"Our mother supported us by making and marketing tella," he explained.
The government expressed its condolences to the family members of the deceased, and said that "safety must be given priority" during every building projects.
Safety regulations are inadequately enforced in the country and building disasters are common.
