An Ethiopian singer has been killed after a stray bullet hit him during celebrations at the opening of a new hotel in the Oromia region.
Dadhi Gelan was performing at the launch of the hotel located in Ashufe when the shooting occurred.
Dadhi is popular in the region for his songs which talk about the struggles for the Oromo people. Dadhi sang in the Afaan Oromo language.
According to the BBC, Dadhi had just finished performing when he was shot. It is tradition in the Oromo region to fire gunshots in the air during celebrations and also during mourning.
After Dadhi was hit by the stray bullet, people fled the scene, his friend Tufa Wodoja told the BBC. The singer reportedly died on the spot.
“While he was performing, everybody was firing. At least 50 to 60 live rounds were being fired per song,” Tufa said. “Prior to his death, Dadhi was saying to me, ‘Be careful, you might get hit by a bullet.'”
Apart from being a singer, Dadhi was also an author. He has five books to his name.
Dadhi is not the only Ethiopian to be killed by a weapon during celebrations in recent times. Earlier this month, a grenade exploded while people were celebrating a marriage. The grenade, which reportedly belonged to the groom, killed him and his best man. It is unclear why the groom had a grenade.
