Bukavu School Fire Kills 24 Children

A fire at a school in Bukavu, a city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo controlled by the Rwanda-backed AFC/M23 rebel alliance, has killed at least 17 people, including students and other children, according to local and medical sources. The reported death toll varies among witnesses and medical facilities. A witness told Reuters that he helped place the bodies of 17 deceased men and children into an ambulance. A local health centre reported receiving 10 bodies, while another hospital said it admitted more than 50 students, 14 of whom died. Corneille Nangaa, the coordinator of the rebel alliance, said he did not yet have an exact figure but estimated that about 10 people had been killed. The conflicting accounts indicate that authorities had not established a definitive death toll at the time of reporting. The cause of the fire was also unknown. Bukavu has been under the control of AFC/M23 since the group carried out a rapid offensive in eastern Congo the previous year. The article provides no further information about the circumstances of the blaze, the condition of those hospitalized, or whether an investigation had begun. It relies on accounts from a witness, local health authorities, a hospital, and the rebel alliance coordinator, with Reuters cited as the reporting source.

At least 24 schoolchildren have died and 29 people have been injured after a fire spread through Cimpunda, a densely populated neighborhood in Bukavu, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The fire began in a home in Kadutu municipality at approximately 8 a.m. on Thursday and rapidly moved through nearby buildings, eventually reaching Ujamaa and Furaha primary schools. Nineteen girls and five boys were among those killed. The intense flames forced students and residents to flee as smoke filled the area. Some victims reportedly died from smoke inhalation, while others were caught in the crush of people attempting to escape. Nurse Jean-Baptiste Ciza said several children were already dead when they arrived at the BDOM medical center. Survivors were treated at several facilities, including Berna Hospital and larger hospitals, according to the severity of their injuries. The fire destroyed more than 300 homes, leaving families without shelter, personal belongings, and in many cases their livelihoods. Residents, emergency workers, and other responders spent hours extinguishing the remaining flames and searching for victims. The neighborhood’s tightly packed buildings and limited access in some parts of Bukavu contributed to the rapid spread of the blaze and complicated emergency efforts. Authorities have not yet determined the cause of the fire. The disaster has renewed concerns about fire prevention, building conditions, emergency access, and preparedness in Bukavu, which has experienced repeated urban fires. Further investigations and a full damage assessment are expected. As residents clear the ruins and support displaced families, the city is confronting one of its most devastating recent urban fires.

At least 24 schoolchildren were killed and 29 others injured when a fast-moving fire swept through the densely populated Kadutu district of Bukavu, in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The victims included 19 girls and five boys, while several injured children were reportedly in critical condition, creating fears that the death toll could rise. The blaze began as children were travelling to school and quickly spread to nearby homes, many of which were built largely from wood. Two schools and more than 300 houses were engulfed. Emergency services sent ambulances to evacuate the injured, while local residents searched for relatives and attempted to save possessions from the flames. Although authorities brought the fire under control by the end of the day, smoke continued to rise from the destroyed neighbourhood as rescuers searched the ruins. An investigation has been opened to establish the cause of the fire. The disaster left hundreds of families homeless and deepened the hardships faced by residents of Bukavu, a city already affected by a severe humanitarian crisis. The city is currently controlled by the AFC/M23 rebel movement, which the United Nations and several Western governments accuse Rwanda of supporting; Rwanda denies the allegation. The wider region has experienced prolonged insecurity, mass displacement and restricted access to essential services. Local authorities have appealed for assistance for bereaved families and people who lost their homes while rescue work and damage assessments continue.

At least 24 schoolchildren have died in a stampede while trying to escape a fire that engulfed two schools in Bukavu, a rebel-held city in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Officials appointed by the M23 rebel authorities released the provisional death toll, but warned that it could rise because the fire occurred in the densely populated Kadutu commune. Adults are also believed to have died. Survivors were taken to nearby hospitals, where footage showed injured children lying on hospital floors. Images shared on social media reportedly showed young children lying motionless on the ground. A witness told Reuters that firefighters or residents had extinguished the flames by the afternoon, although smoke continued to rise from rubble and corrugated metal. The cause of the fire remains unknown. The blaze also destroyed approximately 300 houses, adding to the scale of the disaster. Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province, is one of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s most densely populated hillside cities. The city has been under the control of M23 rebels since the group captured it in February 2025. The government in Kinshasa issued a statement expressing deep sorrow and confirming that the casualty figure remained provisional. The education ministry said the minister had offered condolences, expressed solidarity with affected families, and ordered assessments of damaged schools to support the continuation of learning. The fire follows another deadly incident in Kinshasa the previous weekend, when people died in a stampede at a wedding banquet hall. In response, the government ordered stricter safety measures and sent teams across the country to enforce standards at public gathering places. The article places the Bukavu tragedy within the wider context of insecurity, overcrowding, inadequate emergency response, and recent deadly crowd incidents in the country.

A fire in Bukavu, a rebel-controlled city in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, killed at least 24 schoolchildren and destroyed two schools as well as approximately 300 wooden houses, according to an official from the rebel administration. The victims comprised 19 girls and five boys, said Dunia Masumbuko Bwenge, vice governor of South Kivu province in the administration appointed by the Rwanda-backed AFC/M23 movement. The AFC/M23 rebels captured Bukavu during a rapid advance across eastern Congo early last year. The blaze was extinguished by the afternoon, but smoke continued to rise from rubble and twisted sheets of corrugated metal. Local witness Pierre Mudahama said the fire began near the schools shortly after children arrived for classes. Ambulances transported bodies and injured people from the scene. Bwenge said 29 people were injured and that authorities were investigating the cause of the fire. However, residents and health workers warned that the death toll could increase. Accounts from the scene and local medical facilities produced varying figures. One man said he helped load 17 bodies—including adults as well as children—into an ambulance. A health centre reported receiving 10 bodies, while another hospital said it admitted more than 50 students, 14 of whom died. The differing accounts indicate that casualty figures were still being verified when the report was published. The fire caused extensive destruction in an area already controlled by an armed movement, adding to the humanitarian risks faced by civilians in eastern Congo.