It is now official. The stampede that occurred on the second day when Dar es Salaam residents were paying their last respects to the body of the late President John Magufuli killed 45 people.

Thirty-seven more people were injured as a huge number of mourners sought to force their way into the stadium to pay their last respects to the fallen President on Sunday, March 21, 2021, police have confirmed.

It was on Sunday, March 21 that a stampede occurred when some Dar es Salaam residents attempted to enter the stadium via unofficial entrance points as the crowd got larger. “These people were not criminals."

They went to the stadium in order to express their love for their departed leader but because the num- ber of people was huge, some became impatient and opt- ed to using unofficial entry points and that was how the problem occurred,” Dar es Salaam Special Police Zone commander, Mr Lazaro Mambosasa, told The Citizen’s sister paper Mwananchi yesterday.

He said all the 37 people who were injured in the stampede were progressing well and had been discharged from various hospitals.

“Whenever there is a national event that brings many people together, it is advised that people should obey the laid down procedures.