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Twenty-nine children who passed their school exams in the Central African Republic were killed in a crush after a neighboring explosion caused a panic, a hospital director at the BBC told.
Eplosion, the second day of the high school finals on Wednesday, occurred in an electricity transformer, said Abel Assaye of the Bangui community hospital.
“The noise of the explosion, combined with smoke” caused an alarm among the nearly 6,000 students sitting the baccalaureate in a school in the capital, Bangui reported, Ndeke Luka.
President Faustin-Archange Touadéra has declared a Period of National Mourning.
He also ordered that the more than 280s injured during crushing get free treatment in the hospital.
The students of five different schools in the capital went to the Lycée Barthélémy Boganda to pass the baccalaureate exam.
The Ministry of Education said that the explosion had occurred after electricity had been restored to the electricity transformer, located on the ground floor of the main building, which had been being repaired.
“I also offer our sincere condolences to the parents of the affected candidates and I wish a speedy recovery to the injured candidates,” said Minister of Education Aurelien-Simplice Kongbelet-Zimgas said in a press release.
He also announced the suspension of additional examinations.
Radio France Internationale spoke to one of the survivors whose face was covered with blood after leaving a window.
Magloire explained that the explosion occurred during the history and geography exam.
“The students wanted to save their lives, and by fleeing, they saw death because there were so many people and the door was really small. Not everyone could go out,” he told RFI.
The car continues to deal with political instability and security challenges.
Government forces, supported by Russian mercenaries, fight against armed groups threatening to overthrow the Touadéra administration
