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29 dead and 260 injured in stampede at Bangui high school

Spectators push at a gate prior to the warmup match between North Korea and Nigeria in Johannesburg, South Africa, Sunday June 6, 2010.   -  
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Frank Augstein/AP2010

Central African Republic

At least 29 students have been killed and more than 250 injured in a stampede at a high school in Bangui, capital of the Central African Republic.

An electrical explosion triggered panic among more than 5,000 students sitting their final exams at Barthelemy Boganda high school, according to local authorities.

Most of the victims died at the scene. At least 260 people were injured and are being treated in various hospitals, the country's Ministry of Health said.

The incident occurred on Wednesday when power was being restored to an electrical transformer within the school premises after it malfunctioned.

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