The 80,000-seater capacity Martyrs Stadium in Democratic Republic of Congo’s capital, Kinshasa, has been shut down indefinitely following the death of nine persons during a gospel concert on Saturday.
Popular gospel singer and pastor Mike Kalambay was performing when the incident happened. Images at the event show scenes of overcrowding.
According to local media, a 10-year-old child was among those who died.
The governor of Kinshasa, Daniel Bumba, in a statement blamed “excesses and crowd movements” for the disaster.
The country’s justice minister has ordered an investigation, and the questioning of the police officers who were present at the time and the event organiser Maajabu Gospel.
In a statement after the Saturday’s concert, Maajabu Gospel said it was deeply saddened to learn of the deaths. It blamed “troublemakers”, and said there were 2,000 police officers at the event who had tried to pacify them.
The organisers also insisted there were about 30,000 people at the concert – much less than the venue’s maximum capacity.
The stadium is a major landmark and said to be one of the biggest in Africa.
It regularly plays host to some of the biggest names in music, various football matches, and was also the venue for President Félix Tshisekedi’s swearing-in ceremony.
Following Saturday’s chaos, Kinshasa city authorities have asked police to tighten security measures and told event organisers to adhere to safety regulations.
In 2022, a stadium stampede at the same venue during a concert by Congolese star Fally Ipupa left 11 people dead.
