Stampede kills 31 people in army recruitment drive in Congo-Brazzaville

At least thirty-one people have died in an overnight stampede during an army recruitment drive in a stadium in Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of the Congo, authorities said on Tuesday.

The government said the “tragedy” occurred on Monday night at the Michel d’Ornano Stadium in the heart of Brazzaville, where army recruitment operations were launched on Nov. 14. It did not directly refer to a stampede but said the causes of the incident were being investigated.

The recruitment process has been suspended and a day of mourning declared to pay tribute to 31 recovered bodies and over 140 injured, it said in a statement that revised an earlier reported death toll of 37.