School fire kills more than 20 children in DR Congo

• A fire broke out around 8-9 a.m. Thursday in the Chimpunda area of Bukavu's Kadutu commune, eastern DR Congo.
• It struck two schools, Ujamaa primary and Furaha, both largely built from wooden planks.
• Education ministry inspectors say fires broke out almost simultaneously at three points about 500 meters apart.

At least 24 schoolchildren have died, with some reports putting the toll as high as 26 or 29, after a fire tore through two schools in the rebel-held city of Bukavu in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Thursday. 

Many of the deaths occurred in a stampede as pupils tried to flee the flames. 

The fire broke out around 8-9 a.m. local time in the Chimpunda area of Bukavu's densely populated Kadutu commune.

It struck Ujamaa primary school and the nearby Furaha school, both largely built from wooden planks, and spread rapidly.

A teacher at Ujamaa described the scene to AFP, saying he heard students screaming as some jumped from upper floors while others ran for the doors, before he saw the fire engulf the school. 

Congolese education ministry inspectors later reported that fires had broken out almost simultaneously at three points around 500 metres apart. 

As panic spread, children were trampled in the crush to get out, and those trapped inside died of asphyxiation, the inspectors said.

The fire also destroyed homes in the surrounding area. Estimates vary: one local official put the number at around 80 houses affecting roughly 96 households, while earlier reports cited figures closer to 300.

Crews reportedly demolished some additional homes deliberately to create a firebreak and stop the blaze from spreading further. 

Survivors were taken to hospitals, including Kadutu General Hospital and Bukavu Provincial General Hospital, with footage showing injured children lying on hospital floors. 

Background

Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province, has been held by the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group since Feb. 2025. The city's hillsides are known for densely packed wooden housing, which makes it especially vulnerable to fast-moving fires, a blaze in Bukavu last October killed 14 people, most of them children. 

Fires are common across Congolese cities, which generally lack proper firefighting equipment, and are often blamed on cramped building layouts and illegal electrical connections.

M23 has declared three days of mourning, and funerals for the victims were expected to take place on Saturday.

Government response

The Kinshasa government, which does not control Bukavu, said its Ministry of National Education and New Citizenship expressed sorrow over the disaster, offered condolences to affected families, and ordered assessments of the damaged schools to keep education running. 

Both the Kinshasa government and the M23 administration have called for an investigation into the fire's cause, which remains unknown.

The disaster comes just days after a stampede at a wedding venue in Kinshasa left several people dead, prompting authorities to order stricter safety rules and deploy teams nationwide to enforce standards at public venues. 

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