The incident happened on Monday at the home of the groom in South Wello Zone, north of the capital, Addis Ababa.

“The accident occurred when the bride and groom were playing with their bridesmaids and best men,” a police inspector said, adding that the grenade was owned illegally by the groom.

In some areas, keeping weapons and firing celebratory shots in the air during social events like weddings has raised concern in communities, which have urged the authorities to take measures against those who keep illegal firearms.