At least 24 children feared dead in DR Congo school fire stampede
At least 24 schoolchildren are feared to have died in a stampede while attempting to escape a fire that swept through two schools in Bukavu, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), according to a senior official in the rebel-controlled city.
Several adults are also reported to have been killed, with authorities warning that the death toll could increase as emergency teams continue assessing the damage in the densely populated Kadutu commune.
Survivors have been taken to nearby hospitals for treatment. Images and videos from the scene show injured children lying on hospital floors as medical workers attend to them.
The fire also destroyed an estimated 300 homes. Its cause remains unknown.
Photographs circulating online showed several young children lying motionless on the ground following the incident.
A witness cited by Reuters said firefighters had brought the blaze under control by the afternoon, although smoke continued to rise from piles of rubble and twisted corrugated metal.
Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province and one of DR Congo’s densely populated hillside cities, came under the control of M23 rebels in February last year.
Authorities appointed by the rebels said they were still assessing the situation and expected to announce a provisional death toll later in the evening.
Meanwhile, the government in Kinshasa issued a statement on X expressing grief over the incident but did not provide specific casualty figures.
“The Ministry of National Education and New Citizenship expressed deep sorrow over the deadly fire,” the statement said.
It added that several people had died and many others were injured, stressing that the figures remained provisional. The Education Minister extended condolences to affected families, expressed solidarity with them and directed officials to assess the damaged schools to ensure that learning can continue.
The Bukavu tragedy comes days after another deadly fire in Kinshasa, where residents were killed in a stampede at a wedding banquet hall last weekend.
Following that incident, the government ordered stricter enforcement of safety regulations and deployed teams across the country to inspect public gathering places and ensure compliance with safety standards.
Source: BBC
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