Seven people were killed and many others sustained injuries in a stampede that erupted during a music concert in Kinshasa, Congo’s capital, authorities reported on Sunday.
The tragedy occurred on Saturday at the Stade des Martyrs, an 80,000-capacity stadium, where renowned Congolese gospel singer Mike Kalambayi was performing. According to Kinshasa Governor Daniel Bumba, the chaos began as a large crowd, estimated at around 30,000 people, tried to enter the stadium.
The stampede resulted in the deaths of seven individuals, and some of the injured were rushed to intensive care units. The exact cause of the stampede has not yet been determined, but local music management company Maajabu Gospel suggested that the incident was triggered when “security personnel attempted to control some troublemakers.”
The concert featured a lineup of various musicians and pastors, contributing to the large turnout. Footage from the event shows a chaotic scene with crowds gathered outside the stadium, waiting in front of barricades, and a rush towards the stage inside the venue.
This incident is not the first of its kind in Congo. The country has experienced similar tragedies in the past, often attributed to inadequate crowd management and excessive use of force. A previous stampede at the same stadium last October resulted in eleven fatalities, highlighting ongoing issues with crowd control at large events.
