A catastrophic explosion near a school in Bangui sparked panic among students seated for their baccalaureate exams, leading to a tragic crush that claimed the lives of 29 pupils and left over 280 wounded.
Tragic School Crush Linked to Explosion Claims Lives of 29 Students in Central Africa
Tragic School Crush Linked to Explosion Claims Lives of 29 Students in Central Africa
A devastating incident during school exams in the Central African Republic resulted in a fatal crush, prompting nationwide mourning.
In a heart-wrenching incident on Wednesday, the Central African Republic experienced a tragic event when the panic triggered by an explosion led to a fatal crush at a school where students were sitting for their baccalaureate exams. As reported by Abel Assaye, the director of Bangui community hospital, the blast, which occurred at an electricity transformer, ignited fear among the nearly 6,000 exam candidates present.
The explosion shook the Lycée Barthélémy Boganda during the second day of high school finals, causing a chaotic rush for the exit as students faced the alarming combination of noise and billowing smoke. In the aftermath, President Faustin-Archange Touadéra announced a period of national mourning alongside a directive for free medical treatment for the over 280 individuals injured during the incident.
Students from five different schools converged at the Lycée to take the crucial exam, but the sound of the explosion, stemming from the restoration of power to a transformer that was under repair, triggered a hurried scramble for safety. Education Minister Aurelien-Simplice Kongbelet-Zimgas expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased and indicated that subsequent exams would be suspended as the nation grieves.
Survivors recounted the traumatic experience, with one female student describing a disorienting daze, while another, covered in blood from climbing through a window, recounted the desperate rush for escape. Students noted the constraints of the building's small exit, which hindered their ability to escape from the lurking danger.
This tragic event casts a shadow over an already politically unstable Central African Republic, where government forces, supported by Russian mercenaries, are engaged in ongoing battles against armed groups threatening to destabilize President Touadéra's regime. With the nation reeling from this terrible loss, the focus is now on healing and recovery amidst the chaos of its current circumstances.
