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.
The number of prisoners freed in Venezuela has increased to 18, human rights organisations reported on Saturday, up from nine on Friday afternoon....
Iran’s security forces have intensified their crackdown on nationwide protests, with the elite Revolutionary Guards warning that safeguarding securi...
The death toll from a landfill collapse in the central Philippines has risen to four, an official confirmed on Saturday, as rescue teams continued the...
Kyiv's water and heating systems were restored after being temporarily shut down due to the intense cold, as engineers worked to stabilise the power g...
Elon Musk has accused the UK government of being “fascist” after ministers stepped up pressure on his social media platform X over AI-generated se...
The number of prisoners freed in Venezuela has increased to 18, human rights organisations reported on Saturday, up from nine on Friday afternoon.
The United States’ actions in Venezuela have clearly demonstrated not only that Latin America remains firmly in Washington’s geopolitical orbit, but also that the U.S. is the only global superpower.
The death toll from a landfill collapse in the central Philippines has risen to four, an official confirmed on Saturday, as rescue teams continued their efforts to locate dozens still missing.
Kyiv's water and heating systems were restored after being temporarily shut down due to the intense cold, as engineers worked to stabilise the power grid, which had been pushed to the brink by a series of Russian strikes, including one two nights ago.
U.S. President Donald Trump has ruled out ordering a mission to capture Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying he is confident the war in Ukraine can be brought to an end.
New York City parents could soon have access to free childcare for two-year-old children following a joint announcement made by Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Governor Kathy Hochul on Thursday (8 January).
Türkiye has stepped back from mediating between Pakistan and Afghanistan after repeated efforts failed to narrow deep differences between Islamabad and Kabul.
Tens of thousands of Iranians have taken to the streets in Tehran and across at least 28 cities in a wave of anti-government demonstrations, now entering their twelfth day.
Türkiye is reportedly in discussions to join the defence alliance between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, a strategic move that could reshape security dynamics in the Middle East and South Asia.
Slovakia will sign an agreement on nuclear power cooperation with the United States next week, announced Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico on Saturday, as the country progresses towards a deal to construct a new nuclear power unit with U.S. assistance.
The number of prisoners freed in Venezuela has increased to 18, human rights organisations reported on Saturday, up from nine on Friday afternoon.
The death toll from a landfill collapse in the central Philippines has risen to four, an official confirmed on Saturday, as rescue teams continued their efforts to locate dozens still missing.
Kyiv's water and heating systems were restored after being temporarily shut down due to the intense cold, as engineers worked to stabilise the power grid, which had been pushed to the brink by a series of Russian strikes, including one two nights ago.
Elon Musk has accused the UK government of being “fascist” after ministers stepped up pressure on his social media platform X over AI-generated sexualised images linked to its Grok chatbot.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment