Eight reportedly killed in Burundi church gathering stampede

Eight people have died and nine others injured after a crush at an evangelical gathering in Burundi’s largest city, Bujumbura.

The incident occurred on Saturday night at the Senior Technical School of Kamenge, where thousands of worshippers had gathered to attend a service led by prominent preacher, Chris Ndikumana.

Eyewitnesses and police said a wall near the exit gate collapsed as worshippers rushed to leave the venue after the event ended, resulting in a stampede in which some people were trampled, according to BBC.

“There were so many people and everyone wanted to leave at the same time,” a teacher at the school said, adding that the incident happened late at night.

Police said King Khaled Hospital recorded six deaths, involving five women and one man, while four other people were treated there.

Two additional deaths were recorded at a military hospital, where five people received medical attention.

Authorities said two victims suffered physical injuries, while most of the affected people showed no visible trauma, suggesting suffocation was the main cause of death and injuries.

Neither Ndikumana nor the organisers of the gathering have issued a public statement on the incident.

Ndikumana leads the Kanguka (Wake up) ministry and has a large following across Africa, with his online platforms attracting more than one million subscribers. His services are known to draw large crowds.

Deadly crowd crushes at religious gatherings have occurred in several African countries in recent years.

In 2020, at least 20 people died in Tanzania during an outdoor religious service after worshippers rushed forward during a prayer ceremony.

In 2022, 31 people were killed in a crush at a church food distribution event in Nigeria, while 29 people, including 11 children, died in Liberia after a stampede during a religious gathering.

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