Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, Abune Mathias, sprays holy water on Christians as they celebrate the annual festival of Timkat, or Epiphany, marking the baptism of Jesus Christ in the River Jordan, in the capital Addis Ababa, Jan. 20.
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA - An Ethiopian security official says more than 100 people are injured and some people are dead after a wooden stand erected for the colorful Epiphany celebration on Monday collapsed.
The security chief for the city of Gondar, Tesfa Mekonnen, did not specify the number of deaths in comments to regional broadcaster Amhara Mass Media Agency.
Tesfa said two foreigners were among the injured.
The stand was set up for up to 1,000 people but it became overloaded and collapsed, the official said.
A hospital source in Ethiopia's city of Gondar confirms that at least three people are dead after a wooden stand erected for the colorful Epiphany celebration Monday collapsed.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said more than a dozen other people were injured.
The collapse occurred inside the Emperor Fasilides Bath in the northern city where several thousand Ethiopians and tourists attended the celebration commemorating the baptism of Jesus.
The Ethiopian News Agency reported that more than 15,000 foreigners attended the celebration in Gondar. Regional officials were not immediately available to comment.