At Least 29 Killed as Devastating Fire Enulfs Schools in Rebel-Controlled DR Congo
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১১-৯-২০২৬ দুপুর ১২:৩০
At Least 29 Killed as Devastating Fire Enulfs Schools in Rebel-Controlled DR Congo
At least 29 people, mostly school children, have died after a massive fire swept through a residential neighborhood and engulfed two adjacent schools in the rebel-controlled city of Bukavu in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Lawrence Kanyuka, spokesperson for the Alliance Fleuve Congo/March 23 Movement (AFC/M23) rebel group, stated that the deceased included 19 girls and five boys. Local administrative updates later confirmed that total fatalities reached at least 29 as search and recovery efforts continued.
The blaze broke out at approximately 8:00 AM local time (06:00 GMT) in the densely populated Cimpunda area of Kadutu municipality. It rapidly spread to Ujamaa Primary School, Furaha Secondary School, and a surrounding residential compound.
Dunia Masumbuko Bwenge, Vice Governor of South Kivu province under the rebel administration, told Reuters that the fire destroyed the two educational institutions alongside nearly 300 wooden residential houses.
Local official Patrice Buduge described scenes of panic as trapped students scrambled to escape the burning buildings. "The sudden onset of the fire triggered a massive stampede among the students. Many fell over one another, while others attempted dangerous escape routes, resulting in fatal trampling and loss of consciousness from severe smoke inhalation," Buduge reported.
According to rebel spokesperson Kanyuka, at least 29 injured individuals are undergoing emergency medical treatment across local facilities. Twenty-one victims remain in intensive care units (ICU), including 17 at Kadutu General Hospital and four at Bukavu Provincial General Hospital.
Christophe Zigashane, a nurse at a local clinic, noted that over 50 students and several teachers were rushed to their facility, predominantly suffering from severe respiratory distress due to acute smoke inhalation.
Bukavu, the capital of mineral-rich South Kivu province, has been under the control of the Rwanda-backed AFC/M23 rebel coalition since February 2025 following an intensified offensive across eastern DRC.
While emergency teams eventually brought the blaze under control, local authorities noted that the cause of the fire remains under investigation. The incident marks the latest in a series of urban fires in Bukavu, following a blaze on September 6 that destroyed more than 45 homes.
Best News Desk
১১-৯-২০২৬ দুপুর ১২:৩০
At least 29 people, mostly school children, have died after a massive fire swept through a residential neighborhood and engulfed two adjacent schools in the rebel-controlled city of Bukavu in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Lawrence Kanyuka, spokesperson for the Alliance Fleuve Congo/March 23 Movement (AFC/M23) rebel group, stated that the deceased included 19 girls and five boys. Local administrative updates later confirmed that total fatalities reached at least 29 as search and recovery efforts continued.
The blaze broke out at approximately 8:00 AM local time (06:00 GMT) in the densely populated Cimpunda area of Kadutu municipality. It rapidly spread to Ujamaa Primary School, Furaha Secondary School, and a surrounding residential compound.
Dunia Masumbuko Bwenge, Vice Governor of South Kivu province under the rebel administration, told Reuters that the fire destroyed the two educational institutions alongside nearly 300 wooden residential houses.
Local official Patrice Buduge described scenes of panic as trapped students scrambled to escape the burning buildings. "The sudden onset of the fire triggered a massive stampede among the students. Many fell over one another, while others attempted dangerous escape routes, resulting in fatal trampling and loss of consciousness from severe smoke inhalation," Buduge reported.
According to rebel spokesperson Kanyuka, at least 29 injured individuals are undergoing emergency medical treatment across local facilities. Twenty-one victims remain in intensive care units (ICU), including 17 at Kadutu General Hospital and four at Bukavu Provincial General Hospital.
Christophe Zigashane, a nurse at a local clinic, noted that over 50 students and several teachers were rushed to their facility, predominantly suffering from severe respiratory distress due to acute smoke inhalation.
Bukavu, the capital of mineral-rich South Kivu province, has been under the control of the Rwanda-backed AFC/M23 rebel coalition since February 2025 following an intensified offensive across eastern DRC.
While emergency teams eventually brought the blaze under control, local authorities noted that the cause of the fire remains under investigation. The incident marks the latest in a series of urban fires in Bukavu, following a blaze on September 6 that destroyed more than 45 homes.
