Tanzanian police announced Tuesday that 45 people had been killed during clashes in Dar es Salaam on March 21st in mourning for the late President John Magufuli. President Magufuli, who died last week, was being mourned by Tanzanians who said goodbye to their president.
“There were a lot of people who wanted to enter the stadium, and some couldn’t stand it. They tried to force their way in and this caused a lot of pressure. Forty-five people died in the accident, “Dar es Salaam regional police chief Lazaro Mambosasa told AFP.
Five of the dead were from the same family, Mambosasa said. A woman and four children were earlier reported to have been crushed in the crash at Uhuru Stadium, although no casualties were reported at the time.
Mr. Magufuli died of a heart attack a week ago at a hospital in Dar es Salaam, SamiaSuluhu Hassan said in an address on state television. Magufuli died without being seen in public for more than two weeks, and there have been rumors about his health. His death was linked to Covid 19 disease which he denied his existence.
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Opposition politicians said last week that he had signed a contract with Covid-19, but that was not confirmed. MrMagufuli was one of the most popular African individuals suspected coronavirus, and called for prayer and steam treatment plants to prevent the virus.
The March 21st stampedes also injured 37 people. According to Mambosasa, 37 mourners injured in the March 21st hurricane were all discharged from hospital after treatment.
Tens of thousands of mourners took to the streets of Dar es Salaam this month to bid farewell to Magufuli, whose government announced his sudden death in a mysterious illness. The clash took place on the second day in honor of Uhuru Stadium.
