Authorities report that seven people were killed in mass panic at a concert in Congo’s capital

KINSHASA, Congo – A stampede at a music concert in Congo’s capital left seven people dead and many others injured on Saturday, authorities said.

The stampede occurred at the 80,000-capacity Stade des Martyrs stadium in the heart of Kinshasa, where Mike Kalambayi, a well-known Congolese gospel singer, was performing, Kinshasa Governor Daniel Bumba said.

State broadcaster RTNC reported that seven people were killed in the chaos and some of the injured were admitted to intensive care.

Authorities did not comment on the causes of the stampede, saying the incident was currently under investigation. However, the local music management company that organized the event said the chaos broke out when “security services tried to neutralize some troublemakers.”

An estimated 30,000 people attended the concert, which also featured several other musicians and pastors, the management company Maajabu Gospel said in a statement.

Videos apparently taken from the scene and broadcast of the event showed large crowds gathered in front of the barriers outside the stadium, waiting to be let in. Inside the stadium itself, people could be seen rushing to the main stage.

Such mass panics have occurred in Congo in recent years, often attributed to inadequate crowd control measures, such as excessive use of force. A similar crush in the same stadium during a concert last October left 11 people dead.