Tragedy struck in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic (CAR), as 29 students lost their lives during a stampede triggered by an explosion at a school where they were taking their final exams.
The blast occurred on Wednesday at an electricity transformer inside Lycée Barthélémy Boganda, where nearly 6,000 students from five schools had gathered to write their baccalaureate (high school final) exam.
According to hospital authorities, panic spread quickly when a loud noise and smoke erupted from the transformer, which had just undergone repairs. Many students tried to escape through a narrow door, leading to a deadly crush.
More than 280 others were seriously injured and are receiving free medical treatment on the orders of President Faustin-Archange Touadéra, who also declared a period of national mourning in honour of the victims.
A survivor told the BBC she blacked out after the blast. “We were in the exam room and when I heard a noise, I immediately fell into a daze,” she said, adding that she now suffers from severe pain.
Another student, who escaped through a window, told Radio France Internationale: “Everyone rushed to the door, but it was too small. People were climbing over each other to escape.”
Education Minister Aurelien-Simplice Kongbelet-Zimgas confirmed the suspension of all further exams and expressed condolences to the affected families.
The Central African Republic has been plagued by ongoing conflict and insecurity, with government forces and allied Russian mercenaries battling armed groups in different parts of the country.
This latest tragedy has raised fresh concerns about safety and emergency preparedness in public institutions.
