Fifty-two people died on Sunday at a religious festival in Ethiopia to celebrate the end of the rainy season after police fired tear gas at protesters triggering a stampede.
Violence broke out at the gathering in the town of Bishoftu near the capital Addis Ababa due to the actions of "irresponsible forces", the regional government said in a statement, adding that "as a consequence, 52 people died in this crush."
Opposition groups had said they believed more than 100 people had been killed in the chaos after thousands of people gathered at a sacred lake for the Irreecha (thanksgiving) ceremony, in which the Oromo community marks the end of the wet weather.
Ethiopia is facing its biggest anti-government unrest in a decade and some festival participants had crossed their wrists above their heads, a gesture that has become a symbol of protest by the Oromo community, according to an AFP photographer at the scene.
"The annual Irreecha festival has been disrupted due to a violence created by some groups... Loss of lives has occurred due to a stampede," said a government statement published by state media earlier.
Merera Gudina, chairman of the opposition Oromo Federalist Congress, told AFP there had been many fatalities.
"Bodies are being collected by the government. But what I hear from people on the ground is that the number of dead is more than one hundred," said Gudina.
Sunday's event quickly degenerated into violence, with protesters throwing stones and bottles and security forces responding with baton charges and tear gas grenades, with some reports of gunfire.
'Days of rage'
The police action sent people fleeing in panic with many falling on top of each other into a ditch.
Police demanded that AFP's photographer leave the scene, where rubber bullets were seen strewn on the ground.
Oromo activists called for "five days of rage" to protest the deaths while a strong police presence was visible as the news of the day's events spread.
"This government is a dictatorship, there is no equality or freedom of speech. There is only TPLF. That's why we must protest today," said Mohamed Jafar, referring to the Tigrayan People's Liberation Front.
In 1991 the TPLF, then a rebel group, overthrew Mengistu Haile Mariam's dictatorship and now, as a political party stands accused of monopolising power.
Every year millions of people in the Oromo region mark the Irreecha festival on the shores of Lake Harsadi, which they consider sacred.
The anti-government protests started in the central and western Oromo region in 2015 and spread in recent months to the northern Amhara region.
"For the last 25 years the Oromo people have been marginalised in many things. Today we come together as one to chant for our freedom," said one of the people at the festival, Habte Bulcha.
Together, Oromos and Amharas make up 60 percent of the population of the Horn of Africa nation and have become increasingly vocal in rejecting what they see as the disproportionate power wielded by the northern Tigrean minority in government and the security forces.
AFP
Mon Oct 03 2016
Sunday's event quickly degenerated into violence, with protesters throwing stones and bottles and security forces responding with baton charges and tear gas grenades, with some reports of gunfire. - AFP PHOTO / Zacharias ABUBEKER
[TERKINI] Mahkamah Tinggi arah Isa dan Emir bayar RM3.31 juta
Mahkamah Tinggi Kuala Lumpur memerintahkan Tan Sri Isa Samad dan Datuk Mohd Emir Mavani Abdullah membayar lebih RM3.31 juta kepada FGV Holdings Berhad.
KJ akhirnya dapat isi PADU selepas identiti dicuri
Khairy Jamaluddin akhirnya berjaya mendaftar dalam sistem PADU selepas mendakwa akaunnya telah didaftarkan oleh individu yang tidak dikenali.
Tiada kemunculan Amad, pertemuan Man United-Brentford
Kedua-dua pasukan Manchester United dan Brentford kehilangan seorang pemain kerana penggantungan untuk pertembungan Liga Perdana Inggeris Sabtu ini.
Singgah Sahur UMPSA santuni anak yatim, agensi keselamatan
Program Singgah Sahur UMPSA bukan sekadar bertujuan berkongsi rezeki, tetapi juga menjentik rasa keinsafan dan kesyukuran.
Sarawak Energy kini penaung Majlis Tenaga Dunia, pertama dari Asia Tenggara
Sarawak Energy secara rasmi menjadi penaung global Majlis Tenaga Dunia, sekali gus menjadikannya yang pertama dari rantau Asia Tenggara.
Dua lelaki tak mengaku rompak, menyamar polis
Dua lelaki dihadapkan ke Mahkamah Sesyen Seremban pada Jumaat atas pertuduhan melakukan rompak berkumpulan terhadap seorang lelaki, minggu lalu.
Pembinaan LRT Pulau Pinang tidak melibatkan tanah yang banyak
Menurut Menteri Pengangkutan Anthony Loke Kerajaan Negeri P.Pinang telah kenal pasti jajaran tersebut dan meminimakan pengambilan tanah dan tidak melibatkan bangunan-bangunan yang banyak.
Kemalangan: 45 maut kemalangan bas di Afrika Selatan
Seramai 45 maut dan seorang cedera parah selepas terlibat dalam kemalangan bas berhampiran Mamatlakala di wilayah utara Limpopo, Afrika Selatan, pada Khamis.
'Fast track' Mahkamah Syariah selesai kes cerai dalam masa sehari
Perkhidmatan laluan pantas atau 'fast track' Mahkamah Rendah Syariah Wilayah Persekutuan yang diperkenalkan pada 2021 berjaya menyelesaikan kes antaranya cerai dalam masa sehari.
Ops Samba 2.0: Ketirisan akibat penyeludupan di Kargo KLIA cecah RM2 bilion - KP SPRM
Jumlah ketirisan akibat kegiatan sindiket penyeludupan babitkan beberapa anggota Jabatan Kastam Diraja Malaysia di Kargo KLIA mencecah RM2 bilion bagi tempoh tiga tahun lepas.
30 pelarian maut kerana kelaparan, malnutrisi di wilayah Gambella, Ethiopia
Gambella menerima hampir 400,000 pelarian pada akhir Ogos namun bantuan makanan telah dihentikan sejak Mei di sebahagian kem pelarian di situ.
41 juta penduduk dunia di ambang kebuluran - Program Makanan Sedunia
Analisis WFP baru-baru ini menunjukkan seramai 41 juta orang di 43 negara kini diancam risiko kebuluran.
Dari Haile Selassie ke Abiy Ahmed Alie
Ethiopia dahulu terkenal dengan Maharaja Haile Selassie, kini Hadiah Nobel Keamanan digenggam Perdana Menterinya Abiy Ahmed Alie.
46 migran lemas dalam cubaan menyeberangi Teluk Aden
46 migran termasuk sembilan wanita dari Ethiopia mati lemas ketika cuba menyeberangi Teluk Aden dan kejadian berlaku apabila bot yang dinaiki mereka terbalik di perairan tersebut.