At least 29 students lost their lives and more than 260 others were injured in a devastating stampede at Barthelemy Boganda High School in the capital of the Central African Republic, authorities confirmed Thursday.

The tragedy unfolded on Wednesday afternoon as over 5,300 students gathered to sit for the second day of their baccalaureate exams. According to the Ministry of National Education, panic erupted when an electrical transformer exploded during efforts to restore power to the school.

Witnesses described a scene of chaos as the explosion caused the building to shake. Students and staff rushed to escape, with some reportedly jumping from upper floors while others were crushed in the stampede at stairwells and exits.

“It was every man for himself,” said Alvin Yaligao, a student who survived the incident. “People were screaming, pushing, falling. I saw classmates fainting and others bleeding.”

Emergency services responded swiftly, transporting the injured to nearby hospitals using ambulances, pickup trucks, and even motorbike taxis. The Ministry of Health confirmed that most of the victims died at the scene, and that hospitals were overwhelmed by the influx of casualties.

President Faustin-Archange Touadéra, attending a summit in Brussels at the time, declared three days of national mourning and expressed solidarity with the victims’ families and the education community.

The Education Minister, Aurelien-Simplice Kongbelet-Zingas, pledged a full investigation into the incident and announced that a new date would be set for students to resume their exams.

The Parents’ Association at the school blamed the tragedy on negligence and poor maintenance, calling for accountability and urgent upgrades to school infrastructure. “This was preventable,” said association president Gédéon Cyr Ngaïssé.

The Republican Bloc for the Defence of the Constitution (BRDC), an opposition coalition, condemned the government’s failure to ensure student safety, accusing authorities of ignoring repeated warnings about the transformer’s condition.

The incident has reignited concerns over infrastructure and safety standards in the Central African Republic’s education system, particularly in a country still recovering from years of conflict and underinvestment.

The United Nations and international aid agencies have offered condolences and support, with UNICEF warning that the tragedy highlights the urgent need for safe learning environments across the region.

As the nation mourns, calls are growing for systemic reform to prevent such disasters in the future. For now, the halls of Barthelemy Boganda High School stand silent—a painful reminder of the lives lost in pursuit of education.

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