KinshasaNine people were killed and many more injured in a stampede during a concert in the Congolese capital on Saturday, authorities said.
The stampede took place at the 80,000-seat Stade des Martyrs stadium in the heart of Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where Mike Kalambayi, a popular Congolese gospel singer, was performing, Kinshasa Governor Daniel Bumba said.
State television channel RTNC said seven people were killed in the chaos, with some of the injured admitted to intensive care.
Authorities did not comment on the cause of the stampede, saying the incident was under investigation. However, the local company that organised the event said chaos broke out when “security services attempted to neutralise some rioters.”
An estimated 30,000 people attended the concert, which included other musicians and pastors, event organizer Maajabu Gospel said in a statement.
Videos that appeared to have been recorded at the scene and livestreamed footage from the event showed large crowds gathered outside the stadium in front of barricades as they waited to enter. Inside, people were seen running toward the center stage.
Congo has seen such stampedes in previous years, often blamed on poor crowd control measures, such as excessive use of force. Eleven people died in a similar stampede at the same stadium last October during another music concert.
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– 2024-08-04 09:20:51
