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The disaster is the second tragedy to take place at at Kinshasa's Stadium of Martyrs in less than two years
By James Hanley on 29 Jul 2024
Stadium of Martyrs
image © Antoine Moens de Hase
Nine people have been killed and many others injured in a stampede at a concert in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The tragedy unfolded during a performance by gospel singer and pastor Mike Kalambay at the 80,000-cap Stadium of Martyrs in the Congolese capital of Kinshasa on Saturday (27 July).
MediaCongo reports the victims included eight women and a 10-year-old child. National broadcaster RTNC says some of those hurt were admitted to intensive care.
In a statement, Kinshasa governor Daniel Bumba blames “overflows and crowd movements” for the disaster, while the BBC reports that photos taken at the event show scenes of overcrowding.
However, organiser Maajabu Gospel claims that only 30,000 people were in attendance – well below the venue’s capacity. The music management company shared its “deep sadness” at the chaos, which it says occurred “while the law enforcement services were trying to neutralise some troublemakers”.
It is the second tragedy to take place at the stadium in less than two years
Offering its condolences to those affected, it says that national police were in charge of security and had more than 2,000 officers on site. It went on to praise the “quick and professional” response from the emergency services, adding that authorities were working “to shed light on the exact circumstances” of the incident.
Justice minister Constant Mutamba says organisers, as well as police in attendance, are being investigated.
The venue, which regularly hosts major events including music concerts and sport, has been closed until further notice. It is the second tragedy to take place at the stadium in less than two years. Eleven people died in October 2022 following a crush at an overcrowded hometown show by singer-songwriter Fally Ipupa, with two police officers among the victims.
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