At least 11 killed in stadium crush at Kinshasa concert
Police fired teargas to disperse packed revellers at DRC capital’s main stadium hosting Fally Ipupa concert
30 October 2022 - 22:36
byPaul Lorgerie, Justin Makangara and Stanis Bujakera
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People arrive to attend the concert of the Congolese singer Fally Ipupa, at the Martyrs stadium in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, October 29 2022. Picture: JUSTIN MAKANGARA/REUTERS
Kinshasa — At least 11 people were killed on Saturday, including two police officers, in a crush at an overcrowded stadium concert in Kinshasa headlined by Congolese singer Fally Ipupa, the interior minister said.
The capital’s Stadium of Martyrs was packed beyond its capacity of 80,000 and some of the crowd ended up forcing their way into the VIP and reserved sections, Reuters reporters at the concert said.
Police have recorded “11 deaths, including 10 as a result of suffocation and the crush, and seven hospitalisations”, security minister Daniel Aselo Okito said in a statement.
Congolese singer Fally Ipupa performs during his concert at the overcrowded Stadium of Martyrs in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, October 29 2022. Picture: PAUL LORGERIE/REUTERS
Security forces earlier fired teargas to try to disperse violent crowds in the streets outside the stadium where many had gathered ahead of the concert by Kinshasa-born Ipupa, who has won acclaim in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Europe and elsewhere.
The eventual number of attendees inside the stadium vastly exceeded the number state and private security personnel present could control.
Ipupa said he only heard about the deaths on Sunday morning when he woke up after his performance.
“It pains me. I am from Kinshasa and of course I share in the grief of the families,” he said.
In 2020, French police evacuated the Gare de Lyon railway station in Paris after people started fires nearby in unrest ahead of a planned Ipupa concert.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
At least 11 killed in stadium crush at Kinshasa concert
Police fired teargas to disperse packed revellers at DRC capital’s main stadium hosting Fally Ipupa concert
Kinshasa — At least 11 people were killed on Saturday, including two police officers, in a crush at an overcrowded stadium concert in Kinshasa headlined by Congolese singer Fally Ipupa, the interior minister said.
The capital’s Stadium of Martyrs was packed beyond its capacity of 80,000 and some of the crowd ended up forcing their way into the VIP and reserved sections, Reuters reporters at the concert said.
Police have recorded “11 deaths, including 10 as a result of suffocation and the crush, and seven hospitalisations”, security minister Daniel Aselo Okito said in a statement.
Security forces earlier fired teargas to try to disperse violent crowds in the streets outside the stadium where many had gathered ahead of the concert by Kinshasa-born Ipupa, who has won acclaim in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Europe and elsewhere.
The eventual number of attendees inside the stadium vastly exceeded the number state and private security personnel present could control.
Ipupa said he only heard about the deaths on Sunday morning when he woke up after his performance.
“It pains me. I am from Kinshasa and of course I share in the grief of the families,” he said.
In 2020, French police evacuated the Gare de Lyon railway station in Paris after people started fires nearby in unrest ahead of a planned Ipupa concert.
Reuters
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