Connect with us

International

29 worshippers killed, scores injured in Liberian church stampede

Published

on

No less than 29 worshippers, including 11 children and a pregnant woman, have been confirmed dead, with an unspecified number sustaining injuries in a stampede at a church programme in Liberia’s capital of Monrovia on Thursday night, the country’s Deputy Information Minister, Jalawah Tonpo, said on state radio.

The stampede, the Minister said, occurred during an all-night Christian worship event at New Kru Town, a neighborhood on the outskirts of the capital.

“The doctors said 29 persons died and some are on the critical list. This is a sad day for the country,” Tonpo said.

A survivor who gave his name as Exodus Morias, said the stampede began after a group of armed men rushed the crowd in an attempt to stage a robbery.

“We saw a group of men with cutlasses and other weapons coming toward the crowd,” Morias said.

READ ALSO: Delta Police reveals three people, not ten, died in church building collapse

“While running, some people dropped and others fell on the ground and walked over them.”

A police report said the region has been seeing an upsurge in street gangs known as ‘Zogo Boys’ who commit robberies with machetes and other small weapons.

Meanwhile, President George Weah has expressed his sadness over the incident, calling it a national disaster.

He also declared a three-day period of mourning and ordered an investigation into the incident.

Weah who visited victims in hospitals on Friday, said:

“This is a very sad day in our country and a tragedy. I want to express our sympathy of all the families that lost their loved ones.

“Going forward, we will make amends to make sure that those that are having crusade will make sure that if the space is there for 10 people, it should be 10 people.”

The two-day crusade was reportedly held by a popular Liberian man of God, Pastor Abraham Kromah, and attracted large crowds but turned into a tragedy when the local gang invaded the venue of the programme wielding knives and machetes and attacked the worshippers, triggering stampede.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

eighteen + 1 =