【慈幼通訊社
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2017 年
3月
20
日埃塞俄比亞阿迪斯阿貝巴訊】
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埃塞俄比亞阿迪斯阿貝巴郊區的Koshe堆填區，於3月11日星期六發生的倒塌事故中，已證實115名遇難者中的其中七名，為首都市郊梅卡尼薩鮑思高中心的學生。鑑於這場慘劇對整個教育團體造成直接影響，因此埃塞俄比亞政府宣布，為此全國哀悼三天。
七名鮑思高中心的死難者中，有兩名正接受慈幼會士嘉理達修士(Bro. Donato Galetta)食物計劃的援助；一名正就讀小學；另有兩名初中生及兩名高中生。此外，一名慈幼會中心員工的家人全在慘劇中遇難，包括他的父母及親戚，只剩下他一人。
慘劇死難者追悼會於3月17日星期五在慈幼會學校舉行。整個教育團體逾二千名學生，列隊肅立，手拿蠟燭及花束，向死難同學作最後道別。
梅卡尼薩鮑思高中心於18年前，於阿迪斯阿貝巴郊區開展事業，專門服務Koshe 及 Kore地區，處於社會邊緣的貧苦大眾。慈幼會士正努力工作，進一步擴展中心的服務設施。在與盧加諾教區榮休主教，Pier Giacomo Grampa蒙席的合作下，中心的新行政大樓於3月1日落成啟用。
Koshe堆填區是國內規模最大的堆填區，吸引著數以百計的人，前來尋找可用作循環再造的物品。市政府於去年關閉堆填區，並要求當地人民，轉往阿迪斯阿貝巴郊區的新堆填區，然而鄰近新堆填區的居民提出反對，令當局收回搬遷計劃。
Don Bosco Centre of Mekanissa mourns the death of seven of its pupils
(ANS - Ethiopia –Addis Ababa, 20 March 2017) – Among the 115 confirmed victims of the rubbish landslide that occurred on Saturday 11 March in the Koshe landfill on the outskirts of Addis Ababa, there are seven students from the Don Bosco Centre at Mekanissa, a suburb of the capital. The tragedy, for which the Ethiopian government has declared three days of national mourning, has directly affected the entire educational community.
Of the seven victims who attended the Don Bosco Centre, two were children helped by a food programme run by the Salesian Brother Donato Galetta; one was attending primary school, two were in middle school and two in high school. In addition, one of the workers at the Salesian Centre lost his entire family in the tragedy, including his parents and relatives. He remains completely alone.
A ceremony in memory of the victims of the tragic accident was held at the Salesian campus on Friday 17 March. The entire educational community of more than 2,000 students was neatly placed in rows in absolute silence, carrying candles and bouquets of flowers to mark a final farewell to their dead comrades.
The Don Bosco Centre at Mekanissa began its activities about 18 years ago on the outskirts of Addis Ababa, precisely to serve the poor and marginalized population of the areas of Koshe and Kore. The Salesians are working to further expand the facilities of the centre. On 1 March last they had the inauguration of a new administration building, the result of collaboration with Msgr Pier Giacomo Grampa Bishop Emeritus of Lugano.
The Koshe landfill is the largest in the country and has been "home" for hundreds of people who swarmed around it looking for materials to be recycled. It was closed last year by the city authorities, who had asked the local population to move to the new landfill outside Addis Ababa, but the opposition of the residents who live near the new site forced the authorities to go back on their decision.