At least 29 students were killed and more than 250 injured in a stampede at Barthelemy Boganda High School in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, authorities confirmed Thursday.
The incident happened on Wednesday as approximately 5,000 students gathered to sit their baccalaureate exams. Panic erupted when an electrical transformer inside the school grounds exploded just as power was being restored following a malfunction, the Ministry of National Education said.
“The building shook and we were all terrified. It was every man for himself,” said student Alvin Yaligao, describing the chaos that followed.
Most victims – including 16 girls – died at the scene, while others succumbed to injuries in hospital, the Health Ministry said. At least 260 students are being treated at hospitals across the city.
Some students were fatally injured after jumping from the upper floors, while others were caught in a deadly crush at stairwells and exits as they tried to flee.
The Health Ministry said the main hospital was overwhelmed with casualties, and emergency responders faced delays due to overcrowding.
President Faustin Archange Touadera, attending a summit in Brussels at the time, declared a three-day national mourning period. “I express my solidarity and compassion to the families of the deceased, the education sector, and the student community,” he said in a recorded statement.
Education Minister Aurelien-Simplice Kongbelet-Zingas promised a full investigation and said a new date for the postponed exams would be announced soon.
Authorities have not yet confirmed the exact cause of the transformer failure. An inquiry is underway.
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