BUJUMBURA, Burundi: At least eight people were killed and nine others injured in a stampede after an evangelical gathering in Burundi’s largest city, Bujumbura, police said on Sunday.
The incident occurred after thousands of worshippers attended a sermon by popular Burundian preacher Chris Ndikumana, whose YouTube channel has more than one million subscribers.
“There were so many people and everyone wanted to leave at the same time,” a teacher at Kamenge Technical School, where the event was held, told AFP.
“It was late at night. There was a crush and people were trampled,” the teacher added.
Police said eight worshippers lost their lives while nine others were injured in the stampede. Organisers had not publicly commented on the incident.
Evangelical churches have witnessed rapid growth across Africa, but several large religious gatherings have ended in deadly stampedes in recent years.
In neighbouring Tanzania, at least 20 people died in 2020 after crowds rushed to obtain what was described as “holy oil” distributed by a preacher.
In 2022, at least 29 people, including 11 children, were killed in a crush in Liberia after thieves targeted worshippers leaving a large evangelical gathering.
