Seven dead in stampede at music concert in Congolese capital, authorities say

KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Seven people were killed and scores injured in a stampede at a music concert in the Congolese capital on Saturday, authorities said.

The stampede took place at the 80,000-capacity Stade des Martyrs stadium in the heart of Kinshasa, where Mike Kalambayi, a popular Congolese gospel singer, was performing, Kinshasa Governor Daniel Bumba said.

According to state television RTNC, seven people have died in the chaos and several injured have been admitted to intensive care.

Authorities did not comment on the cause of the stampede and said an investigation into the incident was underway. However, the local music management company that organized the event said the chaos broke out when “security forces tried to neutralize some of the troublemakers.”

According to the management company Maajabu Gospel, an estimated 30,000 people attended the concert, which was also attended by several other musicians and pastors.

Videos that appeared to be from the scene of the incident and broadcast footage of the event showed large crowds gathering outside the stadium in front of barricades as they waited to get in. Inside, people could be seen rushing toward the center stage.

Congo has seen similar stampedes in recent years, often blamed on poor crowd control measures such as excessive force. Eleven people died in a similar crush at the same stadium last October during a music concert.

By Jean-yves Kamale, The Associated Press