At least 29 students lost their lives in a tragic stampede following an electrical explosion at a high school in the capital city of Bangui on Wednesday, according to medical sources.
The incident occurred at Barthelemy Boganda High School, which was serving as an examination centre for more than 5,000 students from six different schools who had gathered to take their final exams, the Ministry of Education reported.
Hospital officials confirmed that at least 29 people died and around 260 others were injured in the chaos that ensued.
“We were overwhelmed. It was horrifying—dozens of injured students were being rushed in,” one hospital source told Reuters, describing the traumatic scenes.
A second medical worker, who estimated the death toll at 31, said panic erupted when a loud explosion made students fear that the building was about to collapse. In the panic, several students reportedly jumped from the first floor. The victims were mostly between 18 and 22 years old.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Education, the explosion occurred after workers from the national electricity provider, ENERCA, restored power, causing a transformer in the school’s main building to blow.
The ministry expressed condolences and pledged to investigate the cause of the incident while assuring the public that exam sessions would continue with heightened safety measures.
