Last night in Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of Congo, 37 young people lost their lives in a stampede during an army recruitment event in a stadium, according to officials on Tuesday.
Last week, the army in the central African nation, also known as Congo-Brazzaville, announced plans to recruit 1,500 individuals aged 18 to 25. Unfortunately, Prime Minister Anatole Collinet Makosso shared that 37 people lost their lives in what he called a “tragedy,” and an unspecified number were injured. A crisis unit, overseen by the prime minister, has been established.
People who wanted to join the army were instructed to go to the Michel d’Ornano stadium in Brazzaville. According to locals, many were still in the stadium on Monday night when a stampede occurred.
Some individuals tried to force their way through gates, resulting in many being trampled in the chaos.
Details of the incident are unclear, and AFP couldn’t independently confirm them. This information was sourced from France 24.