Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (A stampede occurred at the Martyrs Stadium in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, killing at least nine people. All sports venues in the city have suspended all non-sporting events.
According to Xinhua News Agency, the ban announced by Jacquemain Shabani, the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s deputy prime minister for interior affairs, includes the Martyrs Stadium and the Tata Rafael Stadium.
“Our first priority is to ensure the safety of our people. We cannot tolerate festive events that endanger the lives of our fellow citizens. All these events are temporarily suspended. Organizers will have to consider holding events in other safer locations.
A stampede occurred during a Mike Kalambayi concert at the stadium on Saturday. It was unclear what caused the stampede, but a local music management company that organized the event told the AP that the incident was “an attempt by security services to eliminate some troublemakers,” according to the Associated Press “Triggered after.
According to media reports, the incident killed at least nine people, including a pregnant woman, and injured many others.
An estimated 30,000 people attended the show, according to the Associated Press, and video from the event showed large crowds outside the 80,000-capacity stadium and people inside rushing to the center of the stage.
In 2022, 11 people were killed when a crowd surged at a stadium during a concert by Congolese musician Fally Ipupa. According to local media reports, the concert attracted more than 120,000 viewers.
