The last two months have been hectic for the Ethiopian Railway Corporation (ERC). It has been ordered by the government to complete the Addis Abeba light railway project within the coming 17 months. In the midst of its struggle to meet the deadline, the ERC has been closing a number of previously active main roads for use as working sites of its project.

A large number of houses, which the anticipated railway is going to cross, are being hastily demolished. But, the demolition process has not been a smooth one. It has been causing injuries and deaths along the way, although these do not seem to have affected the process in anyway.

"Some of us began to realised the damage being done only after being hospitalised for an hour or so," says Fekadu Menore, 32, one of the many daily labourers who were hurt following the collapse of Nur Building, near the Federal High Court in Lideta District, which he was helping to demolish.

Fekadu and his friends were involved in such work for the first time, he says. The sole reason they were engaged in the business was because of its attractive pay.

"I have never made more than 30 Br a day. I was, therefore, delighted when the contractor offered me 100 Br a day for the demolition work. I had no reason to think about the consequences," says Fekadu's friend, Muhabaw Aba, who also does shoe-shining.

The collapse that injured these young men, three weeks ago, claimed the life of 16-year-old, Demeke Sediso, who hailed from Fekadu's hometown of Hosa'ena, 285 kms from Addis Abeba, in the Southern Regional State.

Demeke was not even working at the building. He came over that evening to remind Fekadu that they had to leave early to collect their daily bulle, leftover meal, before it was finished.

"Suddenly, some concrete came from the above and fell on the ground. I do not remember what happened then," Fekadu recalls sadly.

But, when Fekadu woke up, after about six hours of hospitalisation, he learned the news that his friend Demeke had passed away. Other labourers had also sustained serious injuries.

A week later, a similar accident occurred on a street around Abakoran area, in wereda 7 of Addis Ketema district, last Saturday, July 21, 2013, at around 10 am. The former Assefa Geleta Hotel, which was being demolished, suddenly collapsed, killing several people. Among them was a heavily pregnant woman, children, a taxi assistant and an elderly female street-vendor. Some say that more than 10 people died there.

"I counted seven dead bodies," says an individual who was among those trying to rescue survivors.

Aselefech Amer, 75, was selling soft papers and cigarettes on the same street that she has been working on for many years

"I knew six of them by name. Imagine the number of people who I did not know. There was a crowd of people on the street," she says.

Another dead body was later found when the debris was lifted by an excavator from the city administration.

"I do not think all the dead bodies have been found," Aselefech fears.

Part of the building was demolished before, according to the sources Fortune talked to.

"I knew that the building was on the verge of collapse," Aselefech claims. "The bottom part of the building was in poor shape."

Those supervising the demolition say that they were not so sure of the strength of the building, but that they did not expect such a collapse would happen.

Several demolitions are going on across the city. These include taking down a number of buildings around La Gare in Kirkos District, including the one where the Ethiopian Sports Federation was based. Last Tuesday, while the demolition was underway, pieces of concrete debris were flying around, while pedestrians passed along the road below. There were also some people waiting for taxis, and concrete pieces could be seen on the ground around them.

Even after being informed about the horrible incidents that had happened in other areas, such as that of Nur building in Lideta district and the Assefa Geleta building in Abakoran area, neither the workers nor their supervisors seemed concerned about the damage the pieces they were throwing would cause.

"I have not taken any training in demolitions. My friends and I just do it with the little experience that we have," says Tewodros Abreham, who dropped out of high school and joined the small enterprise that won the demolition contract from the wereda. His colleague in the enterprise, Tilahun Gebre, does not see the need for any training.

"They are daily labourers," he says of the workers that the enterprise has hired. "They do not need assistance to demolish a house."

This view is supported by the Deputy Head of the Construction & Housing Development Office within the wereda 7 administration, in Addis Ketema District, Mussa Ahmed. He says that the enterprises and the labourers they hire know more about demolition than the district does. Hence, there is no need for training.

What the wereda prioritises is whether they can accomplish the demolition of the houses on schedule, as per the agreement, according to Mussa.

"That is our priority," he says.

The best the district has done is to tell the contractors to demolish with care.

"Such a sad incident is unusual," Mussa says, in reference to the deaths that have been caused. "We normally tell the contractors to demolish carefully. To give technical support or supervise them is not, however, in our mandate."

The District issues construction licenses, but it has no license for the reverse - demolition. Individuals, who are engaged in small enterprises at the wereda level, are welcomed, so long as they can demolish the houses within a short period of time, in whatever way. Daily labourers, like Fekadu, only need the power to destroy to get the job.

Aselefech criticises the manner in which the demolition process is handled.

"I have a lay person's understanding, but still I expect that the area around the demolition site to be fenced," Aselefech says.

Abebe Dinku (Prof), chairperson of the Department of Construction Technology & Maintenance at the Addis Abeba University (AAU), who teaches demolition as a course for postgraduate students, shares Aselefech's view.

"[The demolition practice is] so primitive and substandard. I never understand the rationale behind such recklessness," he says. "Demolishing has its own rules and regulations, as well as ethics, as do other professions. Unfortunately, what you see here in Ethiopia makes it seem as if demolition is simply something you do to support yourself when you have no alternative."

Along the roads where the railway line passes, neither the labourers nor their supervisors have any licensing for demolition work.

"This is what complicates the problem," a lawyer, who talked to Fortune anonymously, expressed.

Those who hire the labourers, she says, could be sued in a court of law and found guilty of professional default, but only if they hold professional licenses. No one can claim any insurance from these individuals.

"It is thus the government that has to take the responsibility," she claims.

Demolition, as construction, should be regarded as a professional job, says Abebe. He has hardly seen any professionals involved in this business, however. Professionalism would not only protect human lives, but also enable the reuse of blocks and other materials salvaged from the demolition.

Fekadu and his friends, after surviving their accidents, are still lurking around demolition sites. This time looking for anything of value they can salvage, such as reinforcement bars, which they can then sell.