Latest news with #BarthelemyBogandaHighSchool
Zawya
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Zawya
Central African Republic: Activists Arrested at Memorial Event
Central African Republic authorities arrested activists holding a memorial event for students who died in a high school explosion, Human Rights Watch said today. On June 27, 2025, civil society activists organized a vigil in memory of the students who died in the explosion on June 25 at Barthelemy Boganda High School in Bangui, the capital, where they were taking year-end exams. The death toll was reported in the media to be 29, with at least 250 others injured. The authorities arrested seven people at the memorial event, including three of the organizers, although all have since been released. 'Students should not fear death or injury when they are attending school and have a right to full public accountability,' said Lewis Mudge, Central Africa director at Human Rights Watch. 'The government should follow through on its obligation to conduct transparent and effective investigations and not target those calling for accountability.' The government issued a statement on July 1 saying that 20 students died and 65 others were hospitalized. The government has promised an investigation into the cause of the explosion. The explosion at the school, which occurred when power was being restored to an electrical transformer on the premises, caused a stampede of 5,000 students who were taking exams, according to witnesses and media reports. One student told Human Rights Watch that it took a long time for ambulances to arrive, and that bystanders had to transport the injured to hospitals by motorcycle taxis. 'My daughter had jumped out of a second story window,' the father of a 21-year-old victim, who was not at the scene, told Human Rights Watch. 'Her friends and classmates waited for over an hour for an ambulance and decided to take her on a motorcycle, but she died on the way to the hospital. This was her baccalaureate exam, and she was excited for her future. We buried her yesterday and we are still in shock.' Journalists who covered the incident told Human Rights Watch that the number of dead is 29 and that the number of injured, including those seriously injured, is also higher than the official number. The government should carry out an effective, transparent, and public investigation into both the cause and the extent of the damage immediately, Human Rights Watch said. The president announced three days of national mourning, which took place from June 27 to 29. Civil society activists from an umbrella group, the Civil Society Working Group (Groupe de Travail de la Société Civile, GTSC), organized a vigil on June 27 to commemorate the victims, call for safer schools, and demand an investigation. One of the activists told Human Rights Watch the organizers tried to hold the memorial ceremony at the school but were denied access by the Education Ministry because investigations were underway. Understanding this reason, they selected a different location, but the security minister said the vigil was not authorized, citing a 2022 ban on protests in public spaces. The organizers along with the students and their families started to hold the vigil anyway, but police broke it up and arrested seven people including the three organizers, Gervais Lakosso, Fernand Mandéndjapou, and Paul Crescent Beninga, the activists said. Photos showing police beating vigil participants, seen by Human Rights Watch, circulated on social media. Human Rights Watch was also sent photos from one of the vigil organizers showing wounds from when he was thrown in a police truck. 'We were trying to light candles and put down flowers in memory of those we lost,' Beninga said. 'Where is the security risk in that? We were trying to mourn our young people that were studying for their future and the police came, beat, and arrested us and took us away.' During their interrogation, three civil society activists were informally accused by the police of 'association with criminals' and of having ties to the Republican Bloc for the Defense of the Constitution (Bloc Républicain pour la Défense de la Constitution, BRDC), a coalition of opposition parties. People close to the government often disparage the coalition and accuse it of supporting armed groups. 'We were treated like criminals and traitors,' Mandéndjapou said. The Internal Security Ministry posted its rejection of the activists' request to hold the memorial event on its Facebook page, along with photos of the three activists in handcuffs. The post says that the 'detained,' while free, will 'be subject to close police surveillance.' Authorities took Lakosso and Mandéndjapou to a cell at the National Security Unit and Beninga to a cell at the Central Office for the Repression of Banditry (Office Central de Répression du Banditisme, OCRB), a police unit in Bangui notorious for abuses, where they spent the night. Sending an activist detained for organizing a memorial for dead students to a facility run by a unit known for torture, executions, and shooting suspects on sight can only be designed to intimidate and send a threatening message to activists. The three activists, as well as the four others arrested with them, were released after President Faustin-Archange Touadéra intervened, according to the activists and the ministry's Facebook page. Since 2022, Central African authorities have cracked down on civil society, media, and opposition political parties. The police have prevented opposition political protests and government officials have made unfounded accusations that civil society activists are collaborating with armed groups. Repression increased ahead of local and national elections in 2023, and a referendum in 2023 led to a new constitution that removed term limits and allows Touadéra to run for a third term, which had not been permitted under the 2016 constitution. 'When tragedies like this occur, civil society should be able to commemorate, call for accountability, and support people in their grief,' Mudge said. 'The government's crackdown on this memorial event shows how much it relies on repression and assumes the worst from civil society.' Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Human Rights Watch (HRW).
Scottish Sun
27-06-2025
- Scottish Sun
At least 29 students killed & over 250 injured in horror explosion and stampede at high school during exam
Authorities believe panic from the blast triggered a chaotic stampede, which caused most of the fatalities and injuries SCHOOL BLAST At least 29 students killed & over 250 injured in horror explosion and stampede at high school during exam Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) AT least 29 students have been killed and 250 injured after an explosion resulted in a stampede at a high school. Students were in the middle of an exam on Wednesday when an electrical transformer exploded in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 At least 29 students have been killed and 250 injured Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 3 The incident occurred at Barthelemy Boganda High School Credit: X / @MSF_USA The incident occurred at Barthelemy Boganda High School, where over 5,300 students were gathered for the second day of their national baccalaureate examinations. Most of the victims, including 16 girls, tragically died at the scene after the explosion resulted in a stampede, while others were confirmed dead at the hospital, the Ministry of Health said in a statement. The explosion happened as technicians were working to restore a faulty electrical transformer on the school grounds, according to the Ministry of Education. Alvin Yaligao, one of the students, recalled: "The building shook and we were all terrified. read more news FACE OF EVIL First pic of shooter who killed 10 pupils in rampage & left mum vid message "It was everyone man for himself." Survivors have also recalled hearing a loud explosion from the transformer midway into the examination, causing chaos to unfold. Some of the victims died after jumping out of the building while others were killed in the stampede at the crowded entrance to the upper floors in an attempt to escape. Many other students fainted amid the chaos and were rushed to the hospital, some of them transported on motorbikes. Authorities believe panic from the blast triggered a chaotic stampede, which then caused most of the fatalities and injuries. Emergency responders arrived promptly and transported the injured to nearby hospitals. At least 18 people killed in stampede at station as thousands push to board train on way to Indian religious festival Many people in the area were angered by the tragic incident, accusing the government of negligence for not handling the problems with the electrical transformer. Government officials and workers who arrived at the scene were pelted with different objects by furious residents. President of the school's parents' association, Gdon Cyr Ngass, has called for an investigation into the tragedy, adding: "We deplore this incident which was caused by a lack of maintenance." President Faustin-Archange Touadéra has declared a period of national mourning in honour of the victims. Investigators are currently working to determine the precise cause of the explosion and whether any safety protocols were breached.
The Irish Sun
27-06-2025
- The Irish Sun
At least 29 students killed & over 250 injured in horror explosion and stampede at high school during exam
AT least 29 students have been killed and 250 injured after an explosion resulted in a stampede at a high school. Students were in the middle of an exam on Wednesday when an electrical transformer exploded in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic. Advertisement 3 At least 29 students have been killed and 250 injured Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 3 The incident occurred at Barthelemy Boganda High School Credit: X / @MSF_USA The incident occurred at Barthelemy Boganda High School, where over 5,300 students were gathered for the second day of their national baccalaureate examinations. Most of the victims, including 16 girls, tragically died at the scene after the explosion resulted in a stampede, while others were confirmed dead at the hospital, the Ministry of Health said in a statement. The explosion happened as technicians were working to restore a faulty electrical transformer on the school grounds, according to the Ministry of Education. Alvin Yaligao, one of the students, recalled: "The building shook and we were all terrified. Advertisement read more news "It was everyone man for himself." Survivors have also recalled hearing a loud explosion from the transformer midway into the examination, causing chaos to unfold. Some of the victims died after jumping out of the building while others were killed in the stampede at the crowded entrance to the upper floors in an attempt to escape. Many other students fainted amid the chaos and were rushed to the hospital, some of them transported on motorbikes. Advertisement Most read in The US Sun Authorities believe panic from the blast triggered a chaotic stampede, which then caused most of the fatalities and injuries. Emergency responders arrived promptly and transported the injured to nearby hospitals. At least 18 people killed in stampede at station as thousands push to board train on way to Indian religious festival Many people in the area were angered by the tragic incident, accusing the government of negligence for not handling the problems with the electrical transformer. Government officials and workers who arrived at the scene were pelted with different objects by furious residents. Advertisement President of the school's parents' association, Gdon Cyr Ngass, has called for an investigation into the tragedy, adding: "We deplore this incident which was caused by a lack of maintenance." President Faustin-Archange Touadéra has declared a period of national mourning in honour of the victims. Investigators are currently working to determine the precise cause of the explosion and whether any safety protocols were breached. 3 Students were in the middle of an exam on Wednesday when an electrical transformer exploded Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Advertisement
The Sun
27-06-2025
- The Sun
At least 29 students killed & over 250 injured in horror explosion and stampede at high school during exam
AT least 29 students have been killed and 250 injured after an explosion resulted in a stampede at a high school. Students were in the middle of an exam on Wednesday when an electrical transformer exploded in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic. 3 3 The incident occurred at Barthelemy Boganda High School, where over 5,300 students were gathered for the second day of their national baccalaureate examinations. Most of the victims, including 16 girls, tragically died at the scene after the explosion resulted in a stampede, while others were confirmed dead at the hospital, the Ministry of Health said in a statement. The explosion happened as technicians were working to restore a faulty electrical transformer on the school grounds, according to the Ministry of Education. Authorities believe panic from the blast triggered a chaotic stampede, which caused most of the fatalities and injuries. Emergency responders arrived promptly and transported the injured to nearby hospitals. President Faustin-Archange Touadéra has declared a period of national mourning in honour of the victims. Investigators are currently working to determine the precise cause of the explosion and whether any safety protocols were breached. . 3
Toronto Sun
26-06-2025
- Toronto Sun
An explosion and ensuing stampede kill 29 children in a Central African Republic school
Published Jun 26, 2025 • 1 minute read People gather at the site of an explosion and the stampede that followed that killed dozens of schoolchildren and injured hundreds at a high school in Central African Republic's capital city Bangui, authorities said Thursday, June 26, 2025. Photo by Jean Fernand Koena / AP BANGUI, Central African Republic — An explosion and the stampede that followed killed at least 29 schoolchildren and injured more than 250 at a high school in Central African Republic's capital city, authorities said Thursday. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The explosion occurred Wednesday at the Barthelemy Boganda High School in Bangui when power was being restored to an electrical transformer within the school premises after it malfunctioned, according to the country's Ministry of National Education. Most of the victims — including 16 girls — died at the scene after the explosion resulted in a stampede while others were confirmed dead at the hospital, the Ministry of Health said in a statement. At least 260 students were injured and being treated in various hospitals, the ministry said. An estimated 5,000 students were at the school for higher-education exams at the time. Survivors recounted hearing a loud explosion from the transformer midway into the examination. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'The building shook and we were all terrified. It was everyone man for himself,' said Alvin Yaligao, one of the students. Some of the victims died after jumping out of the building while others were killed in the stampede at the crowded entrance to the upper floors in an attempt to escape. Many other students fainted amid the chaos and were rushed to the hospital, some of them transported on motorcycles. Many people in the area were angered, accusing the government of negligence for not handling the problems with the electrical transformer. Government officials and workers who arrived at the scene were pelted with different objects by angry residents. 'We deplore this incident which was caused by a lack of maintenance,' Gedeon Cyr Ngaisse, president of the school's parents' association, told reporters. He called for an investigation into the tragedy. Toronto Raptors CFL Canada Celebrity Sunshine Girls
