Eight killed in crush at evangelical gathering in Burundi's Bujumbura

Eight people died and nine were injured in a crush at an evangelical gathering in Bujumbura, Burundi's largest city, on Saturday night, according to the BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g3702rrxno The incident occurred at the Senior Technical School of Kamenge, where prominent Burundian preacher Chris Ndikumana was appearing before a crowd of thousands; a wall at the exit gate collapsed as worshippers jostled to leave late at night and some were trampled, police and eyewitnesses told the BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g3702rrxno Bujumbura's King Khaled Hospital recorded six deaths and treated four others, while a military hospital recorded two further deaths and treated five more, police said; most victims showed no physical trauma, suggesting suffocation was the main cause, the BBC reports. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g3702rrxno Ndikumana, whose Kanguka ("Wake up") ministry has more than a million YouTube subscribers and draws huge crowds across several African countries, has not publicly commented, nor have the event organisers, according to the BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g3702rrxno Crushes at religious events are tragically common across the continent, the BBC notes, citing deaths in Tanzania in 2020, in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, in 2022, and in Monrovia, Liberia, the same year. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g3702rrxno *Source Reporters corrects errors promptly. Report corrections to corrections@sourcereporters.com.*