THE scaffolding supporting a church under construction in Ethiopia’s Amhara region collapsed on Wednesday, killing at least 25 people and injuring as many as 200, authorities said.

The accident happened in the morning at Menjar Shenkora Arerti Mariam Church in Amhara, northern Ethiopia, as pilgrims gathered to mark the annual Virgin Mary festival when the scaffolding collapsed.

Many worshippers had climbed up the wooden scaffolding to see a ceiling mural when the support structure collapsed, according to witnesses.

“We all had gathered in prayer when all of a sudden the scaffolding collapsed and people started falling from the ceiling,” witness Mikias Mebratu, who lost three of his friends, said at the scene.

Seyoum Altaye, a clinician with a local hospital, said that the victims include children and elderly people. “So far we have confirmed 25 dead and over a hundred injured,” he said.

Teshale Tilahun, the local administrator, warned that the death toll could potentially rise. “It is a tragic loss for the community,” he said.

Local official Atnafu Abate told the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation that some people remained under the rubble but did not provide details on rescue operations.

Health and safety regulations barely exist in Ethiopia, Africa’s second most populous nation, and construction accidents are common.