Stampede at gospel music concert in DR Congo claim 7 lives

Local authorities in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, reported that seven people perished in a stampede at a stadium.

The event occurred on Saturday during Congolese gospel musician Mike Kalambayi’s concert at the Stade de Martyrs stadium in the city’s north.

There have been “seven deaths and several people admitted to intensive care,” according to state broadcaster RTNC on channel X.

The cabinet of Kinshasa governor Daniel Bumba claimed in a statement late on Saturday that “overflows and crowd movements” at the stadium “resulted in the death of men.”

The stadium has a capacity for 80,000 people.

Event organisers Maajabu Gospel said 30,000 people had attended the concert.

“It is with deep sadness that we learned of the deaths of our compatriots who lost their lives, while the security services were trying to neutralise some troublemakers,” Maajabu Gospel said in a statement.

AFP contacted local authorities but did not immediately receive a response.

A stampede in 2022 in the same stadium left eleven people dead, including nine spectators and two police officers.

That incident happened during a concert by African music star Fally Ipupa.