The wooden seat collapse in Gondar during the celebration of the Ethiopian Epiphany resulted in the death of nine. Gondar Referral Hospital notified that seven men and two women have died of the accident on Monday.
A great crowd of people travels to Gondar for the celebration of the Ethiopian Epiphany every year. According to reports, the wooden seat was prepared to accommodate 1000 people, but it became overloaded during the event, which resulted in the collapse.
Dr. Ashenafi Tazebe, Medical Director of Gondar Hospital on a statement said, 250 people had been brought to the hospital after the accident. And most of them had returned home taking medical treatment. About 80 people are still in the hospital, of which 13 of them are in a severe injury, which requires a longer time of medical attention.
Last year Ethiopian Epiphany, also called ‘Timket,’ added to the Intangible World Heritage list under UNESCO. This year’s festival was the first after the inscription. Tens of thousands of tourists attended the celebration in Gondar.
Timket is a festival, which is celebrated every year all over Ethiopia, aims to memorize the baptism of Jesus Christ.