Eight worshippers die in crush at Burundi preacher's gathering

What the report says

BBC Africa reports that eight people were killed and nine others injured in a crush at an evangelical gathering in Bujumbura, Burundi’s largest city. The incident happened on Saturday at the Senior Technical School of Kamenge, where prominent Burundian preacher Chris Ndikumana was appearing before a crowd of thousands.

According to police and eyewitness accounts cited by the BBC, the crush occurred late at night as the preaching ended and many worshippers tried to leave at once. Police said a wall at the exit gate collapsed while people were jostling to get out, and some attendees were trampled. A teacher at the venue told AFP there were many people and everyone was trying to leave at the same time.

Police said King Khaled Hospital in Bujumbura recorded six deaths — five women and one man — and treated four injured people. Two additional deaths were recorded at a military hospital, where five others received treatment. Police said only two victims had visible physical injuries, while others showed no signs of trauma, indicating suffocation may have been the main cause of death and injury. BBC Africa reported that neither Ndikumana nor the event organisers had publicly commented.

Ndikumana leads the Kanguka, or “Wake up,” ministry and has a large following, including more than one million YouTube subscribers. The BBC noted that large religious gatherings have previously seen deadly crushes in parts of Africa, including incidents in Tanzania, Nigeria and Liberia in recent years, underscoring recurring safety risks when dense crowds gather and move through limited exits.