Central African Republic authorities said Thursday that an explosion at a high school in the capital Bangui, followed by a stampede, killed at least 29 students and injured more than 250.
According to the Associated Press, the Central African Republic’s Ministry of National Education said that the explosion occurred on Wednesday at the Barthelemy Boganda High School in Bangui when an electric transformer failed and power was being restored.
The Ministry of Health said in a statement that most of the victims, including 16 girls, died on the spot after the explosion triggered a stampede, while others were confirmed dead in hospitals. The Ministry of Health said that at least 260 students were injured and were being treated in various hospitals.
At the time, about 5,000 students were taking higher education exams at the school. Survivors recalled that they heard a loud explosion from the transformer halfway through the exam.
“The building shook and we were all scared. Everyone was only looking out for themselves,” said Alvin Yarigao, one of the students.
Some victims jumped to their deaths, while others died in the stampede as they fled the crowded high-rise entrance.
Many other students fainted in the chaos and were rushed to hospital, some on motorcycles.
Many in the area were angry, accusing the government of negligence and failure to deal with the problem with the power transformer. Government officials and workers who arrived at the scene were pelted with various objects by angry residents.
“We deeply deplore this incident that was caused by inadequate maintenance,” Gedeon Sil Ngayise, chairman of the school’s parents’ association, told reporters. He called for an investigation into the tragedy.
