Fire at schools in Congo's Bukavu kills at least 24 students

Deadly fire engulfs two schools in eastern Congo

A fire swept through two adjacent schools in the city of Bukavu in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Thursday morning, killing at least 24 students, according to the rebel administration that controls the city and local officials. The South Kivu provincial government later said the death toll stood at 26 students, with 19 girls and seven boys among the dead, and warned it could rise.

The blaze broke out in a home in the Cimpunda neighborhood in Bukavu's densely populated Kadutu municipality, before spreading rapidly through neighbouring buildings and reaching two primary schools, Ujamaa and Furaha, according to local neighborhood administrator Moïse Lubala. He told The Associated Press that several students were trapped inside Furaha secondary school and some suffocated. The fire started at around 8am local time, when children were making their way to school.

Witnesses described scenes of panic as flames approached. Local leader Patrice Buduge said the blaze sparked a "violent stampede" that "forced students to trample over one another or look for a dangerous way out; many of them fainted and others lost consciousness." One teacher, Innocent Rukiko, told RFI that "some climbed on top of others as they were running," while another teacher, Simon Kasamira, described hearing students screaming and seeing some jumping from upper floors.

A nurse at a local clinic, Christophe Zigashane, told AFP that his facility received around 50 students, including several teachers, in a critical state of asphyxia. "Among them, 10 were dead and four others died at the scene. That makes a total of 14 deaths, all under 10 years old," he said.

The exact number of casualties has been difficult to confirm. Early reports from local and medical sources indicated at least 17 people had been killed, including children. United Nations Radio Okapi, quoting local authorities, initially reported 20 deaths. An official from the rebel administration told Reuters that 24 people had died — 19 girls and five boys, with 29 others injured.

A witness at the scene told Reuters he had helped to load 17 bodies, including those of adults as well as children, into an ambulance. A local health centre said it had received 10 bodies, and another hospital said it had admitted more than 50 students, 14 of whom died. Dunia Masumbuko Bwenge, vice governor of South Kivu province in the administration appointed by the Rwanda-backed AFC/M23 movement, said 29 people were injured and that an investigation was underway to determine the cause of the fire.

The fire destroyed more than 300 homes in the densely populated Kadutu commune, according to provisional assessments from local authorities. Witnesses said flames spread quickly because most houses were built largely from wood and stood close together. Some reports from local sources cited by Fides put the number of destroyed homes at more than 500, and said the fire also ravaged a clinic.

Stampede and crushing as students fled

Many of the deaths were attributed to a stampede as students tried to escape the flames and smoke. The local neighborhood administrator, Moïse Lubala, described the scene at Furaha secondary school: "The exit was too narrow, so some students began jumping through windows while others rushed toward the door. As everyone tried to force their way out, students were pushed over and trampled on." He also said the neighborhood was densely populated and most houses were made of wood.

Jean-Baptiste Ciza, a nurse at BDOM, said several children were already dead when they reached the medical centre. Medical staff were struggling to keep track of the exact number of injured because there were so many, he told The Associated Press.

A resident, Zihaliwa Mweze, described the chaos: "When the flames started here, at the school, we heard people calling for help as we were trying to get out. We went back inside. The flames rose and spread until they engulfed the whole neighbourhood." Mweze said residents were still working to extinguish the remaining flames and did not yet know what had caused the fire.

Cause under investigation, government expresses condolences

The cause of the fire has not been established. The AFC/M23 administration said it was investigating the cause and circumstances of the blaze. Local sources speaking to Fides suggested possible factors including petrol stored in homes, exposed electrical wires, and forgotten charcoal stoves, noting the ongoing dry season and strong trade winds that could have fuelled the flames.

In Kinshasa, the national government released a statement on X, saying the Ministry of National Education and New Citizenship "expressed deep sorrow over the deadly fire." The statement said the death toll remained "provisional" and that the minister had ordered assessments of affected schools to ensure learning continuity. The government did not specify numbers of casualties.

The disaster follows a similar fire in Kinshasa last week, where residents died in a stampede at a wedding banquet hall. In response, the government ordered tighter safety measures at public gathering places.

Context: Bukavu under rebel control

Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province and one of DR Congo's most crowded hillside cities, is controlled by the AFC/M23 rebel movement, which the United Nations and several Western governments have accused Rwanda of supporting. Rwanda denies backing the group. The M23 rebels took control of Bukavu in February 2025, according to multiple reports.

The fire has renewed concerns over fire prevention and emergency preparedness in Bukavu, a city that has experienced repeated urban fires. The main market in Kadutu was destroyed by fire a few days ago, according to local reports. Bukavu is known for its wooden houses built on hillsides, where deadly fires often break out. Congolese cities largely lack firefighting equipment, and specialists say fires are often caused by a lack of space between buildings and illegal connections to the power grid, RFI reported.

More than 100 armed groups are vying for control of eastern Congo's trillions of dollars in mineral wealth, which is critical for much of the world's technology. The region also faces severe strains on health services, including an ongoing Ebola outbreak that has killed more than 3,300 people, according to reports citing regional health authorities.