Many murdered in high school stampede in African nation
(MENAFN) A tragic stampede at Barthelemy Boganda High School in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic (CAR), has left at least 29 students dead and over 280 injured, according to government officials. The incident occurred on Wednesday following an explosion caused by repair work on a malfunctioning electrical transformer, the Ministry of National Education confirmed on Thursday.
The blast reportedly triggered widespread panic among the more than 5,000 students from six schools who had assembled at the site to take their baccalaureate exams. The chaos led to a stampede, with some students crushed in stairwells and others fatally injured after jumping from the building.
The injured were rushed to various hospitals, including a Russian-run medical center in Bangui, where Russian medics provided emergency care free of charge, according to the local outlet Lengo Songo.
President Faustin-Archange Touadera expressed deep sorrow over the loss of life, calling the victims “our children, full of dreams.” He declared three days of national mourning from Thursday to Saturday in honor of the deceased.
Eyewitnesses told the Associated Press that the explosion occurred midway through the exam, causing the building to shake and sparking chaos. Survivors described scenes of fear and desperation as students scrambled to escape.
Angry residents blamed government negligence, accusing authorities of ignoring prior warnings about the faulty transformer. Officials and technicians arriving at the site were reportedly met with hostility, including being pelted with objects.
Gedeon Cyr Ngaisse, president of the school’s parents’ association, criticized the failure to maintain school infrastructure and demanded a formal investigation. The Education Ministry has pledged to examine the causes of the tragedy and ensure accountability.
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