A fire that started in electrical work tore through a hotel in Medina where about 700 people were staying to perform the umrah. Fifteen Egyptian pilgrims died, most of them from suffocation, and 130 people were injured.
Source: Al Jazeera
Tragedy
Ceiling of Debre Birhan Selassie church, Gondar, Ethiopia. Photo: Rod Waddington, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Licence · Source
On this day: February 8 in African history
Real events, births and milestones from Africa and the diaspora.
Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons 1931 Shadia, celebrated Egyptian actress and singer of the golden age of Egyptian cinema, was born.
Sources: Egypt State Information Service ; EgyptToday
Birth
CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons 1940 Sophie Lihau-Kanza, Congolese politician who became the first woman to serve as a government minister in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, was born.
Sources: Pourelle.info ; African Shapers ; Worldwide Guide to Women in Leadership
Birth
Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons 1981 Steve Gohouri, Ivorian international footballer, was born.
Sources: The Guardian ; Transfermarkt
BirthKeegan Meth, Zimbabwean international cricketer, was born.
Sources: ESPNcricinfo ; Cricbuzz
Birth
CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons 1986 Anderson .Paak, Grammy Award-winning American singer, songwriter and producer, was born.
Sources: The Recording Academy (GRAMMY.com) ; AllMusic
Birth
CC BY 3.0 BR, Wikimedia Commons 2025 Sam Nujoma, founding President of Namibia and leader of its independence movement, died.
Source: Britannica
Death
Photo by Alex. Bassano, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons 1884 Cetshwayo died at Eshowe, where he had placed himself under British protection. The medical officer who examined the body concluded he had died of a heart attack; the Zulu believed he had been poisoned.
Sources: Internet Archive ; South African Historical Journal
Death