Five dead in stampede while mourning Tanzania's Magufuli
chuks oti
Mar 23, 2021
A woman and four children were killed in a stampede in Tanzania as crowds rushed to mourn Tanzania's late President John Magufuli at the weekend, a relative told AFP on Tuesday.
READ ALSO: WHY Police Arrested Akon in Georgia Revealed: Full Details Emerge
A second woman was also missing after going to Uhuru Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Sunday, where tens of thousands gathered to mourn Magufuli whose sudden death after a mysterious short illness was announced last week.
READ ALSO: Why Madagascar Soldiers Refused Orders to Shoot Protesters | WATCH VIDEO
"They went to bid farewell at the stadium, but it turned tragic when there was a stampede,ÔÇØ Gerald Mtuwa, a relative of the dead woman, told AFP by phone from Dar es Salaam.
READ ALSO: President Trump Unveils $1,000 Investment Account for All Babies Born Between 2025-2028
The children were aged between five and 12 years old, he said. The woman killed was mother to two of them, while the other two were her nephews.
READ ALSO: How I Survived When Everyone Else DiedÔÇØ - Lone Survivor of Air India Crash Speaks
Mtuwa said the family has checked hospitals and morgues in the financial capital for the missing woman, but she has not been found and the family fear the worst.
READ ALSO: ASUU To Education Minister: You're Joking, No Salary Arrears, No Resumption
The stampede occurred as mourners crammed the streets around the stadium where Magufuli's casket was in state at the weekend.
READ ALSO: Dr. Chima Anyaso Hosts Namibian Governor, Strengthens Africa's Economic Partnerships
The government announced on March 17 that Magufuli, 61, had died from a long-running heart condition and declared 21 days of mourning.
READ ALSO: Why We Should Not Be Fined For Open Grazing In Benue - MACBAN Tells Ortom
But the announcement followed a mysterious absence of almost three weeks and questions remain over the true cause of his death, which the opposition has said was from Covid-19.
READ ALSO: At Child Dedication, Abia Speaker Promises Community Potable Water
Magufuli was a Covid-sceptic, a stance which saw Tanzania refuse to issue data on the disease or take any measures to curb the spread of the virus.
READ ALSO: Kwankwaso Reacts To Obasanjo, Clark's Endorsements Of Obi |READ DETAILS
His deputy Samia Suluhu Hassan was sworn in Friday to become Tanzania's first female president.
READ ALSO: Trump Speaks Out: Why U.S. May Join the Israel-Iran War | READ DETAILS
Magufuli was given a state funeral on Monday in Dodoma at a ceremony attended by African leaders from across the continent.
READ ALSO: T0P ST0RY: If 2023 Presidency Eludes Igbos, They Will Never See It Again - Prophet Reveals Why
His casket, at present in the semi-autonomous island of Zanzibar, will be flown to the city of Mwanza on Wednesday before the late president is laid to rest in his ancestral village of Chato in northwest Tanzania on Friday.
Related Stories
WHY Police Arrested Akon in Georgia Revealed: Full Details Emerge
Dr. Chima Anyaso Hosts Namibian Governor, Strengthens Africa's Economic Partnerships
Why Madagascar Soldiers Refused Orders to Shoot Protesters | WATCH VIDEO
Trump Speaks Out: Why U.S. May Join the Israel-Iran War | READ DETAILS
How I Survived When Everyone Else DiedÔÇØ - Lone Survivor of Air India Crash Speaks
President Trump Unveils $1,000 Investment Account for All Babies Born Between 2025-2028
""
— chuks oti