At least nine people died and many others were injured during a live concert in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Saturday, the country’s health minister said.
Gospel singer and pastor Mike Kalambe was performing at the 80,000-seat Martyrs Stadium in the capital, Kinshasa, but photos taken at the venue showed the venue was overcrowded.
According to local media reports, a 10-year-old child was among the dead.
Kinshasa Governor Daniel Bemba issued a statement blaming “excessive behavior and crowd movements” for the disaster.
Minister of Justice of the Democratic Republic of the Congo order an investigation, and doubt The police and event organizer Maajabu Gospel who were present at the time.
Maajabu Gospel said in a statement after Saturday’s concert that it was deeply saddened to learn of the death. It blamed “troublemakers” and said 2,000 police officers were at the event to try to calm them.
Organizers also insisted that approximately 30,000 people attended the concert, which was far below the venue’s maximum capacity.
The stadium, an important landmark said to be one of the largest in Africa, is closed until further notice.
It regularly hosts some of the biggest names in music and various football matches, and was also the venue for the swearing-in ceremony of President Felix Tshisekedi.
Following Saturday’s chaos, Kinshasa city authorities asked police to tighten security measures and event organizers to comply with safety regulations.
Such incidents are not uncommon at large events in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
In 2022, a stadium crush occurred at the same venue during a concert by Congolese star Fally Ipupa, killing 11 people.
