Twenty-nine children who were taking their school exams in the Central African Republic have been killed in a crush after a nearby explosion caused panic, a hospital director told the BBC.
The blast, on the second day of the high-school finals on Wednesday, occurred at an electricity transformer, said Abel Assaye from the Bangui community hospital.
“The noise of the explosion, combined with smoke” caused alarm among the almost 6,000 students sitting the baccalaureate at a school in the capital, Bangui, local radio station Ndeke Luka reported.
President Faustin-Archange Touadéra has declared a period of national mourning.
He also ordered that the more than 280 who were wounded in the crush get free treatment in hospital.
Students from five different schools in the capital had gone to the Lycée Barthélémy Boganda to sit the baccalaureate exam.
The CAR continues to face political instability and security challenges.
Government forces, backed by Russian mercenaries, are battling armed groups threatening to overthrow Touadéra’s administration
By Sophia Skiles, Jasmin Cardenas, Caroline Hatem, Marta Górnicka. Through the use of story and…
The 2025-2026 season was the final season in Jonathan Quick’s Hall of Fame career. After…
The persistent discount suggests US spot buyers have remained less aggressive than overseas traders even…
Finland is known for its clear lake waters, dense forests and shifting light, and this…
The author is Tim Whitmarsh and the subtitle is Augustus, Empire and the Making of…
The new school year is on the horizon, but for some of you, another adventure…