One person was killed and 11 others wounded after a soldier accidentally sent a rocket-propelled grenade into a stadium in Goma, in conflict-torn eastern DR Congo, the military announced Thursday.
The spokesperson for the military, Guillaume Ndjike, stated that in the afternoon, a Congolese soldier “inadvertently” discharged his RPG, which subsequently landed within Goma’s Unity Stadium.
He further mentioned in his statement that the explosion had resulted in injuries to twelve individuals, with one of them tragically succumbing to their wounds later on.
Ndjike clarified that the soldier had discharged the RPG while traveling in a vehicle that encountered a road bump in close proximity to the stadium.
Prince Mumbere, a Goma resident who happened to be in the vicinity of the stadium during the incident, reported observing injured football players exiting the venue.
Unverified images circulating on social media depicted injured football players and a young man covered in blood being transported from the stadium either by walking or on motorcycles.
Goma’s Unity Stadium is situated approximately 30 kilometers (18 miles) away from the frontlines that divide Congolese troops from the M23 rebels. These rebels have gained control over significant areas of North Kivu province since commencing their campaign in late 2021.
The eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is host to numerous armed groups, a lasting legacy of the regional conflicts that engulfed the area during the 1990s and 2000s.