Congolese authorities said the “tragedy” occurred on Monday evening at the Ornano stadium, where army recruitment operations had been underway since November 14. The statement said the cause of the incident was under investigation.
Image of the incident. Photo: AN
Recruitment has been suspended and a national day of mourning has been declared to honour the 31 bodies found and more than 140 injured, the agency said in a statement revising a previously reported death toll of 37.
Images shared on social media showed dozens of injured young men lying on the basketball court floor.
Local media said the stampede was caused by young men seeking to apply to join the military, a major employer in a country where few of its oil resources reach the people.
Thousands of young men from the Republic of Congo, aged 18 to 25, lined up to join the army. Up to 700 people signed up each day, despite there being only 1,500 vacancies in total.
In the Republic of Congo, youth unemployment is around 42%, according to the World Bank. Despite being an oil producer, the country of 5.61 million people remains poor, with only 15% of rural residents having access to electricity.
Huy Hoang (according to AP, Reuters, Africa News)
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