Jehovah’s Witness Convention Attacked With Toxic Gas in Angola, 400 Faint

A Jehovah’s Witness Convention in Angola that had 7,000 worshippers in attendance was, on Friday, attacked with toxic gas, causing over 400 of them to faint.

The worshippers had gathered on the outskirts of Luanda for the week-long convention when they were attacked.

According to a local newspaper in Angola, forty three victims were rushed to the hospital, but no death has been recorded.

A witness, Abraham Kituxi, told the press that his sister-in-law was among the first to collapse. She told him she had smelled something foul before passing out. However, when he fainted, he did not take it serious, because very active odour normally affected him and caused him to faint, but he normally recovered easily.

Reports say three young men have been arrested in association with the attack. The suspects are allegedly members of UNITA, the main political party that opposed MPLA, the dominant regime party in Angola since its independence in 1975. The attack seems to be a retaliation for the fact that Jehovahs Witnesses do not vote – and Angola just underwent presidential elections last week.

Another eyewitness, Manuel Ricardo, confirmed the arrest of the three men. He told local media,”One of the defendants was arrested in one of the bathrooms changing clothes, the other to try to enter one of the ladies’ bathroom with the same purpose and the third to transpose the door.”