Tanzania: several dead during an evangelical religious service

Text by: RFI Follow

In Tanzania, at least 20 people died on Saturday evening, February 1, in a stampede during an evangelical religious gathering in the north of the country.

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It is a healing ceremony which would be at the origin of this drama.

A crowd gathers on Saturday in a stadium in Moshi, a Tanzanian city at the foot of Kilimanjaro. The faithful attend a prayer ceremony led by Boniface Mwamposa, at the head of the evangelical movement "Arise and shine Tanzania".

According to the first information, during the service, the preacher pours on the ground a liquid, which he presents as holy oil. According to the belief of this evangelical movement, this oil was intended to heal the sick.

The faithful rush to try to touch this liquid which, they think, can cure them. " It is as if the preacher had thrown bundles of dollars, " said a witness to AFP. A stampede follows. People fall and are trampled on. The death toll of 20 remains provisional since there are also many injured.

Witnesses describe a scene of great violence. " The victims were trampled on without mercy, " said one. Another adds that " it is as if the preacher had thrown away bundles of dollars and that people had rushed " to pick them up.

The preacher then fled. This Sunday morning, on national television, the police called him to appear for questioning. Later in the day, Interior Minister George Simbachawene announced his arrest in Dar es Salaam.

The number of prosperity gospel pastors who promise miracle cures to their followers has increased in the country in recent years.

Today, explaining that " some churches are creating problems, " the Tanzanian police say they want to investigate how these religious groups organize their rallies.

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• Tanzania
• Religion