A student has died and 141 others were injured in a stampede at the University of Nairobi in Kenya when students mistook several accidental explosions from a transformer for a terrorist attack.

Peter Mbithi, Vice Chancellor of the University of Nairobi, said that one male third-year student was killed in the crush. He said the injured students have been taken to hospitals for treatment.

He said an electrical transformer exploded about four times early today and students thought it was an attack by Islamic extremists like the April 2 attack by Somalia's al-Shabab rebels on Kenya's Garissa University College in which 148 people were killed.

Mr Mbithi said many students were injured when they jumped from upper floors of their dormitories.

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