A religious gathering led by a popular Burundian preacher ended in tragedy on Saturday night, July 18, 2026 after a crush at the exit of the venue left eight worshippers dead and nine others injured in Bujumbura. The incident happened as thousands of people tried to leave the event at the same time, with a collapsed wall at the exit gate turning the rush into a deadly stampede.
The gathering was held at the Senior Technical School of Kamenge in Burundi's largest city and featured well-known preacher Chris Ndikumana, whose ministry regularly attracts large crowds across Africa.
According to eyewitnesses and police, the crush occurred after the preaching had ended late at night. Worshippers rushed toward the exit at the same time before a wall near the gate gave way, causing panic as people fell and others were trampled while trying to escape.
"There were so many people and everyone wanted to leave at the same time," a teacher told the AFP news agency.
"It was late at night," the teacher from the Senior Technical School of Kamenge, the venue of the gathering, added.
Police said King Khaled Hospital in Bujumbura received six of the victims, including five women and one man, who were confirmed dead. Four other people were admitted to the same hospital for treatment.
Two more deaths were reported at a military hospital, where five injured people were also receiving treatment.
According to police, only two of those injured had visible physical injuries, while the rest showed no signs of trauma. The findings suggest that suffocation was the main cause of both the deaths and injuries.
Neither Ndikumana nor the organisers of the gathering had publicly commented on the incident by the time of reporting.
Ndikumana leads the Kanguka, meaning "Wake Up", ministry and has built a large following across the continent. His YouTube channel has more than one million subscribers, while many of his followers believe prayers offered during his services can heal illnesses.
The tragedy adds to a number of deadly crushes that have occurred during religious gatherings in Africa in recent years.
In 2020, at least 20 people died in neighbouring Tanzania during an outdoor religious service after worshippers rushed forward to receive blessed oil.
Two years later, 31 people lost their lives in Nigeria's southern city of Port Harcourt during a church food distribution event after crowds gathered overnight waiting for supplies.
Also in 2022, at least 29 people, including 11 children, were killed in Liberia after thieves targeted worshippers leaving a large evangelical gathering, triggering a deadly crush.