Blast sparks stampede, kills 29 exam students in Central Africa

A tragic scene unfolded in the Central African Republic’s capital on Wednesday as 29 students were killed and more than 280 injured in a devastating stampede triggered by an explosion during national examinations.

The incident occurred at the Lycée Barthélémy Boganda in Bangui, where nearly 6,000 students from five different schools had gathered to sit for the high-school baccalaureate exams.

According to local authorities and medical officials, panic broke out after an explosion at an electricity transformer in the building’s ground floor sent plumes of smoke and a loud blast echoing through the school premises.

Abel Assaye, director of the Bangui community hospital, confirmed the casualties to the BBC, describing the event as a “horrific and heartbreaking scene.”

The cause of the blast was linked to a power restoration attempt at the transformer, which had been under repair, according to the Ministry of Education.

“The noise of the explosion, combined with smoke, caused widespread panic,” reported local radio station Ndeke Luka. Students reportedly rushed for the exits in fear, triggering a deadly crush in the overcrowded halls.

In response, President Faustin-Archange Touadéra declared a period of national mourning and expressed his condolences to the victims’ families. He also announced that all injured students would receive free medical treatment.

“This is a dark day for our nation,” the president said in a televised address. “Our children went to school to write their future. They did not return.”

Rescue teams and emergency services were deployed swiftly to the scene, with hospitals in the capital overwhelmed by the influx of the injured, many of whom suffered fractures, head injuries, and trauma.

Education officials are now facing pressure to explain the lack of safety protocols in accommodating such a large number of candidates in a single venue.

Investigations into the incident are ongoing.

Wednesday’s tragedy has plunged the country into mourning and raised questions about infrastructure safety and emergency preparedness in schools across the Central African Republic.