University student dies in Burundi bar explosion

A foreign student at Burundi's Université Espoir d'Afrique died in a Sunday night explosion at a bar in the main city of Bujumbura, her colleagues say.

Laurene Muzaliwa from Democratic Republic of Congo had just joined her family members in the bar north of the city when the blast went off.

Her uncle and several others were also injured, according to Vital Cirhuza, leader of Congolese students association in Burundi, who also said it was a grenade attack.

“We are now at Laurene’s place mourning her sudden death as we wait for her family and DR Congo mission in Burundi to decide on where she’ll be buried,” Mr Cirhuza said.

A local journalist also told BBC Great Lakes that the explosion was a grenade attack that targeted patrons in the bar and that the perpetrators were seen running away from the scene.

The government has not yet released official figures of victims of the explosion.

Burundians head to the polls in nine days in a general election that will replace President Pierre Nkurunziza who has been in power since 2005.