Saturday November 30, 2024

100 injured after stampede in Cameroonian school

Published : 23 Jan 2024, 01:50

  DF News Desk
A man looks at a vehicle damaged in a stampede at the Etoug-Ebe Bilingual High School in Yaounde, Cameroon, on Jan. 22, 2024. Photo: Xinhua/Kepseu.

About 106 students were injured on Monday following a stampede at a government-run secondary school in the Cameroonian capital of Yaounde, according to Minister of Public Health Manaouda Malachie, reported Xinhua.

"Following the incident today at the Etoug-Ebe Bilingual High School, the 106 students who were injured are currently receiving care free of charge in our hospitals, following our health emergency protocols, and are stable. A mental health team has been made available to families," Manaouda said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The tragedy occurred at about 7:00 a.m. local time at the school while students were struggling to get to classes after the daily morning devotion, according to officials.

Emmanuel Djikdent, prefect of Mfoundi division where Yaounde is located, told reporters earlier that no one died in the stampede.

"No one died. There were only minor injuries. The doctor asked that we observe some of them until 2:00 p.m.," Djikdent told a crowd of worried parents and students when he visited the school.

Some students interviewed by Xinhua said they feared some of their classmates died in the stampede.