Republic of Congo marks a day of mourning for 31 dead in a stadium stampede

BRAZZAVILLE, Republic of Congo (AP) — Republic of Congo’s government said it was paying the medical bills for 145 people injured in a stampede at a military recruitment event as the country marked a national day of mourning Wednesday for the 31 dead.

A crisis committee led by the prime minister’s office said that funeral expenses also would be covered by the government and that an investigation was underway to determine the cause of the “appalling tragedy.”

The Congolese Armed Forces Command already had announced that all recruitment operations were suspended in the capital, Brazzaville, until further notice following the tragedy late Monday.

Brandon Tsetou, a young graduate who escaped the crush that caused some victims to suffocate, said he joined the line in front of Ornado stadium on Monday morning.

“According to the organizers, it was the last day. That’s why many of us decided to wait until late into the night, hoping to register,” he told The Associated Press. “Some were so impatient that they had to force their way in, causing a stampede that left a number of people dead or injured, which we deplore.”

In Republic of Congo, the youth unemployment rate is about 42%, according to World Bank statistics. Despite being an oil-producing country, poverty is widespread in the nation of 5.61 million people, with only 15% of those living in rural areas having access to electricity.