KINSHASA, July 28 -- All non-sporting activities will be suspended until further notice at sports venues in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a day after a stampede killed at least nine people during a concert at Stade des Martyrs, a main sports center in the national capital, Deputy Prime Minister for Interior Jacquemain Shabani said Sunday.

Both Stade des Martyrs and Stade de Tata Raphael, also in Kinshasa, have been put on the list for the ban, said Shabani after a crisis meeting held Sunday. Saturday's stampede occurred during musician Mike Kalambayi's concert at Stade des Martyrs in Kinshasa, where at least nine people, including a pregnant woman and children, died.

"Our priority is to keep our people safe. We cannot tolerate festive events that endanger the lives of our fellow citizens. All these activities are temporarily suspended. Organizers will have to consider other, more secure locations for their events," stressed Shabani.

The decision, taken during the crisis meeting that gathered five other ministers, the governor of Kinshasa, and musician Mike Kalambayi, led to the cancellation of several concerts and cultural activities in the coming days.

"The dead were suffocated. We realized that it happened very quickly. They were already dead when they arrived (at the hospital)," said Roger Kamba, minister of Health, Saturday.

According to Kamba, his ministry was not involved in organizing the event. "There is a flaw in the organization that absolutely must be corrected."

With a capacity of 80,000 seats, the Stade de Martyrs, believed to be the largest in the country, is a popular venue for concerts, cultural events as well as political meetings. Security sources said it was over capacity at the time of the incident.

Kinshasa Governor Daniel Bumba announced the opening of an investigation into the incident, according to a statement published Saturday evening, referring to "overflows" that "led to deaths."

In October 2022, 11 people including two police officers died in a stampede also happening at the Stade de Martyrs during a concert by Congolese musician Fally Ipupa. According to local media reports, the concert attracted more than 120,000 people.

  - Xinhua