At least 29 students were killed in Bangui on Wednesday due to a stampede triggered by an electrical transformer explosion during the secondary school exams, according to the Ministry of Health, as reported by AFP on Thursday.
At the time of the explosion, which occurred around 1:00 PM, over 5,300 students were taking their exams on the second day of the secondary school assessments.
In the chaos, supervisors and students attempted to escape, with some jumping from the first floor of the school.
AFP reporters observed the injured being transported by ambulances, pickup trucks, or motorcycles.
President Faustin-Archange Touadéra stated in a video posted on his party’s Facebook page, “I want to express my solidarity and sympathy with the parents of the deceased candidates, with the educational staff, and with the students.”
Touadéra, who is attending the Gavi vaccines summit in Brussels, declared a three-day national mourning.
A document circulated on social media and confirmed by the Ministry of Health indicated that 29 people died in hospitals in Bangui.
United Nations peacekeeping forces and police were seen in the vicinity of Barthelemy Boganda High School and the hospitals.
Minister of Education Aurélien-Simplice Zingas stated in a statement on Wednesday that “swift actions will be taken to clarify the circumstances of this incident.”
The Central African Republic is one of the poorest countries in the world and has experienced a series of coups and civil wars since gaining independence from France in 1960, with the leadership often held by authoritarian figures.
The most recent civil war erupted more than a decade ago, but violence has diminished in recent years as the government has regained control over major cities.
However, fighting occasionally breaks out in remote areas between rebels and the army backed by Wagner mercenaries and Rwandan forces.
