Death and Injuries at Timkat Festival
By AlpLocal News
January 20, 2020
GONDAR, AMHARA (Ethiopia) – The local annual epiphany festivities by Orthodox Christians known as Timkat in Ethiopia’s north is the scene of local emergency care. The scene was of death and injuries from falling wooden seating that collapsed while worshipers were participating in this annual festival.
Reports by emergency workers and hospitals providing aid to the worshipers was slow due to the size of the crowds. Medical professionals announced the death toll had risen to 10 and hundreds wounded. Many fractures and broken bone injuries are reported. The number of injuries may indicate the death toll may rise. Families are waiting at local care facilities for word of their loved ones.
Some participants are saying the seating was not secure enough to handle the large crowd that sat for hours with many younger worshipers climbing on board adding to its instability.
Timkat or Timqat which literally means “Baptism” is the Orthodox Tewahedo celebration of Epiphany. It is celebrated on January 19th (or 20th in a leap year), corresponding to the 11th day of Terr in the Ethiopian calendar.
UNESCO added Timkat to its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity last month. With this designation, Timkat has attracted many more visitors from Ethiopia and around the world.
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