8 People Killed in Crush at Evangelical Gathering in Bujumbura, Burundi
- Eight people died and nine others were injured after a crush broke out at an evangelical event in Bujumbura, Burundi
- The incident happened at a school where popular preacher Chris Ndikumana was holding a gathering attended by thousands
- Police said suffocation appeared to be the main cause of death, with a collapsed wall at the exit triggering the chaos
Eight people died and nine others were injured after a crush broke out at an evangelical gathering in Bujumbura, Burundi's largest city, on July 18.
The incident occurred at the Senior Technical School of Kamenge, where popular Burundian preacher Chris Ndikumana was holding a large-scale religious event.
Source: UGC
According to eyewitnesses and police, a wall at the exit collapsed as thousands of worshippers tried to leave the venue simultaneously after the late-night service ended, with some people being trampled in the chaos.
"There were so many people and everyone wanted to leave at the same time," a teacher at the school told AFP. "It was late at night," the teacher added.
Deaths recorded at two hospitals
In a statement, police said King Khaled Hospital in Bujumbura received six of the dead, five of whom were female and one male, with four others admitted there for treatment. Two further deaths were recorded at a military hospital, where five patients were also treated.
According to BBC, officers noted that only two of the injured showed visible physical wounds, while the remainder had no outward signs of trauma, pointing to suffocation as the leading cause of both the deaths and injuries.
Neither Ndikumana nor the organisers of the event had publicly commented on the incident at the time of this report.
Who Is Chris Ndikumana?
Ndikumana leads the Kanguka, meaning "Wake up," ministry and draws large crowds across several African countries. His YouTube channel has more than one million subscribers, and some of his followers believe he has the ability to heal illnesses through prayer.
Crowd crushes at religious events have claimed lives across Africa on multiple occasions. In 2020, at least 20 people died in neighbouring Tanzania when attendees rushed forward to receive blessed oil during an outdoor service.
Source: Getty Images
Gunmen storm ekiti church, kill pastor
Legit.ng earlier reported that Gunmen have attacked a Christ Apostolic Church in Eda Oniyo community in Ilejemeje local government area of Ekiti state. The assailants killed a pastor and forcibly abducted several worshippers during a crusade service.
The incident occurred on the evening of Tuesday, April 28, and has left residents in shock. Witnesses said the assailants stormed the open-air programme on the outskirts of the town while activities were ongoing.
According to Premium Times, the attackers reportedly opened fire, killing the presiding pastor before taking an unspecified number of worshippers into a nearby forest.
Source: Legit.ng
