Addis Ababa, Oct. 2 (BNA): At least 25 people were killed and scores injured when a church under construction in Ethiopia’s Amhara region collapsed, local authorities said.

The accident happened in the morning at Menjar Shenkora Arerti Mariam Church in Amhara, northern Ethiopia, as worshippers gathered for an annual event celebrating St. Mary, reported the Associated Press.

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

Seyoum Altaye, a clinician with a local hospital, said 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.

N.B, N.N, S.E