Nine Fatalities in Kinshasa Concert Stampede
Nine people tragically lost their lives in a stampede during a concert in Kinshasa, Congo. The incident occurred at the Stade des Martyrs stadium, which can hold 80,000 people, during a performance by gospel singer Mike Kalambay on Saturday, July 27.
The stadium was excessively crowded, which led to chaotic conditions. Kinshasa’s governor, Daniel Bumba, attributed the tragedy to “excessive crowd movements,” as stated in a press release. Notably, one of the deceased was a 10-year-old child. The event, which was also streamed live on YouTube, witnessed attempts by attendees to enter the stadium by climbing a fence, exacerbating the disorder.
In a statement issued on Sunday, July 28, the concert organizers, Maajabu Gospel, expressed deep regret over the incident. They pointed out that the disturbance was caused by “troublemakers,” despite the presence of 2,000 police officers who tried to manage the situation. They also noted that the actual attendance was around 30,000, well below the stadium’s full capacity.
Following the incident, Stade des Martyrs has been shut down indefinitely as authorities have also decided to close another venue, Stade Tata Raphael, to reassess and enhance crowd-control measures.
This is not the first such incident at this venue; a previous concert in 2022 by Congolese singer Fally Ipupa also saw a fatal crush that claimed 11 lives. As a result, upcoming concerts scheduled for August 10 and 11 at the venue have been canceled.
