More than 300 homes were also destroyed as flames spread through a densely populated neighborhood in Bukavu, the authorities say
At least 26 students have been killed after a fire swept through two schools and hundreds of homes in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) city of Bukavu, the authorities say.
The blaze began in a house in the densely populated Cimpunda neighborhood on Thursday morning before spreading to the adjoining Furaha and Ujamaa schools, according to local officials. Several children reportedly suffocated after becoming trapped, while others were caught in a violent stampede as they tried to escape.
A statement from the South Kivu provincial authorities, cited by AP, put the toll at 19 girls and seven boys and warned that it could rise.
More than 300 homes were reportedly destroyed. The closely packed wooden buildings in the neighborhood contributed to the rapid spread of the flames, while narrow exits caused a crush at the schools, Cimpunda administrator Moise Lubala told AP.
The Congo River Alliance/March 23 Movement (AFC/M23) rebel coalition, which controls Bukavu, earlier reported 24 deaths and 29 injuries. It said 21 patients were in intensive care and that an investigation is ongoing to determine the cause of the fire. DR Congo government spokesman Patrick Muyaya said Kinshasa is following the incident with “deep concern.”
“While the city remains under illegal occupation, we express our solidarity with the students, teachers, parents, and families affected,” he wrote on X.
The Congolese Education Ministry said students and teachers in areas under occupation remain part of the national education system and “at the heart of the nation’s responsibility and solidarity.” It ordered an assessment of the damage and measures to support victims and continue classes. The ministry said the fire was the latest in a series that have damaged schools in Bukavu. The exact cause remains unknown.
Thursday’s disaster came less than a week after a fire at a wedding party in the capital, Kinshasa, killed at least 22 people. More than 700 homes burned in separate fires across Bukavu during the week ending September 6, according to UN-operated broadcaster Radio Okapi.
The AFC/M23 has controlled Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu Province, since February 2025, when its advance forced Congolese and allied Burundian troops to withdraw. The coalition seized Goma, the capital of neighboring North Kivu, a month earlier during clashes with government forces. Kinshasa and several Western governments accuse Rwanda of supporting the rebels, which Kigali denies. The rebels have since established parallel administrations across large areas of eastern DR Congo, where armed groups compete for control of the region’s mineral wealth.
