- Title: Funeral for Ethiopian killed in stampede
- Date: 3rd October 2016
- Summary: DANKAKA, ETHIOPIA (OCTOBER 3, 2016) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MOURNERS WALKING IN PROCESSION TOWARDS CHURCH MOURNERS WEEPING IN CHURCH COMPOUND RELATIVES CARRYING PICTURE OF DECEASED MAN, TESFAYE TADESE MOURNERS CRYING OVER COFFIN VARIOUS OF RELATIVES CRYING PORTRAIT OF VICTIM ON THE COFFIN, PRIESTS CHANTING FUNERAL RITES (SOUNDBITE) (Oromo) MOTHER OF STAMPEDE VICTIM TESFAYE TADESE, SAYING: "What can I say? What is there to say? He left me saying he was going to look for the mother of his child, he did not tell me he was going to the Irreecha festival. He died a sudden death, they just brought me his dead body. I wish it was me instead of him. My son is gone now." VARIOUS OF COFFIN BEING LOWERED INTO GRAVE MOURNERS STANDING BY GRAVESIDE VARIOUS OF TADESE'S FATHER CRYING RELATIVE HOLDING TADESE'S PICTURE TO HIS CHEST AND CRYING (SOUNDBITE) (Oromo) TADESE'S FATHER, TADESE BIRU, SAYING: "If there were peace in the country, 200 people would not have died like this. Who would you go to to complain about this? The government is playing God's role, who is there to talk to? We just bury our dead and sit down, that is it. Could this have happened if there were a so-called democratic system in place? I saw bodies of people being loaded into trucks to be transported to regions, just like aid wheat and maize. These are humans!" VARIOUS OF FLOWER WREATHS BEING PLACED ON GRAVE
- Embargoed: 18th October 2016 15:43
- Keywords: Oromiya stampede anti-government protests opposition
- Location: DANKAKA, ETHIOPIA
- City: DANKAKA, ETHIOPIA
- Country: Ethiopia
- Topics: Disaster/Accidents
- Reuters ID: LVA00152GC85J
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Crowds of mourners attended the funeral on Monday (October 3) of a man killed in a stampede at a religious festival in Ethiopia on Sunday (October 2).
In Dankaka village in the Oromiya region, weeping relatives hugged each other and cried over the coffin of Tesfaye Tadese.
His mother said she was devastated to learn of her son's sudden death.
Tadese's father said he blamed the government for the stampede.
"The government is playing God's role, who is there to talk to? We just bury our dead and sit down, that is it. Could this have happened if there were a so-called democratic system in place?" Tadese Biru said.
More than 50 people were killed in the incident that was triggered when police used teargas and shot in the air to disperse anti-government protesters at the religious festival. The state broadcaster put the death toll at 52, citing regional officials.
Thousands of people had gathered for the annual Irreecha festival of thanksgiving in the town of Bishoftu, about 40 km (25 miles) south of the capital Addis Ababa.
The government has declared three days of national morning with flags across the country lowered to half-mast starting on Tuesday (October 4). - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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