29 Dead, 260 Injured in Massive School Stampede

At least 29 students died and 260 others were injured in a deadly stampede at Barthelemy Boganda High School in Bangui, Central African Republic, on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, after an electrical transformer explosion triggered panic during nationwide examinations.

The explosion occurred when power was being restored to an electrical transformer within the school premises after it malfunctioned, according to the country’s Ministry of National Education. An estimated 5,000 students from five different schools were taking their baccalaureate examinations at the time of the incident.

Most victims, including 16 girls, died at the scene after the explosion resulted in a stampede, while others were confirmed dead at the hospital, the Ministry of Health stated. The transformer was located on the ground floor of the main building and had been undergoing repairs when the incident occurred.

The sound of the explosion, combined with smoke billowing through the hallways, made students believe the building was collapsing. Abel Assaye from the Bangui community hospital confirmed the death toll to the BBC, explaining how the noise and smoke caused alarm among the thousands of students present.

Alvin Yaligao, one of the students taking the exam, described the chaos: “The building shook and we were all terrified.” Some students jumped from the first-floor windows in panic, while others were crushed in the stampede at the exits as they attempted to flee the building.

A survivor who spoke to Radio France Internationale explained that the blast occurred during a history and geography examination. The student indicated that as pupils fled to save their lives, they encountered death because there were so many people and the door was very small, preventing everyone from escaping.

Emergency services and local residents rushed the wounded to hospitals throughout the city. Some injured students were transported on motorcycles due to the overwhelming number of casualties. A Health Ministry source told AFP that the hospital was overwhelmed by people to the point of obstructing caregivers and ambulances.

The incident sparked outrage among local residents and the broader community, with many accusing the government of negligence for failing to address long-standing electrical infrastructure issues. When government officials and utility workers arrived at the scene, angry residents pelted them with objects.

Gédéon Cyr Ngaïssé, president of the school’s parents’ association, expressed condemnation of the incident, attributing it to a lack of maintenance. He called for a thorough investigation into the cause of the tragedy and demanded accountability from authorities.

President Faustin-Archange Touadéra, who was attending a vaccine summit in Brussels, Belgium, when the incident occurred, responded by declaring three days of national mourning. He expressed solidarity and compassion to the parents of the deceased candidates, educational staff, and students in a video posted to Facebook.

The President also issued an official order mandating that all students injured in the stampede receive free medical care. Education Minister Aurelien-Simplice Kongbelet-Zimgas announced the suspension of further examinations and indicated that measures would be taken quickly to shed light on the circumstances of the incident.

Kongbelet-Zimgas offered sincere condolences to the parents of affected candidates and wished a speedy recovery to the injured students. He stated that a date would be announced later for students to resume their examinations.

The Central African Republic continues to face political instability and security challenges, with government forces backed by Russian mercenaries battling armed groups that threaten to overthrow Touadéra’s administration.

The Ministry of National Education confirmed that an investigation is underway to determine the exact circumstances that led to the transformer malfunction and subsequent deadly stampede. The scale of the tragedy has left the nation in mourning, with officials under growing pressure to ensure such incidents are not repeated.

The incident represents one of the deadliest school-related disasters in the Central African Republic’s recent history, highlighting ongoing infrastructure challenges in the country’s educational system. The baccalaureate examinations are crucial higher-education exams that determine students’ academic futures.

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