A woman is consoled at Mawenzi hospital after the death of her granddaughter killed in stampede during a church service
DAR ES SALAAM, Feb 5 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The preacher in a church where 20 people were killed in a stampede has been arrested, said the Tanzanian government.
The Saturday incident happened when hundreds of worshipers were attending a prayer meeting led by Boniface Mwamposa, a popular preacher who leads the Arise and Shine Ministry Tanzania.
The stampede occurred when Mwamposa, who calls himself the “Apostle”, poured what he said was holy oil on the ground and the crowd surged forward to touch it in the hope of being cured of sickness, witnesses said.
After the stampede, the preacher flew to Dar es Salaam where he was apprehended. It is not known what charges he will face.
Interior Minister George Simbachawene accused the church of not taking sufficient precautions and of violating the terms of its permit for the meeting, which ran two hours later than planned.
He also said the government would be strengthening the requirements needed to register as a church.
“The incident took place at night and there were many people, so there is a possibility that more casualties could emerge,” he said. — NNN-AGENCIES