A devastating fire that swept through two educational facilities in rebel-held Bukavu, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, triggered a fatal stampede that has left at least 24 schoolchildren feared dead, a senior local official has confirmed. The blaze, which also destroyed hundreds of adjacent residential structures, has raised grim expectations that the final death count will climb higher in the densely populated Kadutu commune where the incident occurred.
Beyond the confirmed school fatalities, multiple adult casualties have also been reported in the disaster. Injured survivors have been transferred to nearby medical facilities, where on-site footage shows injured children lying in pain on hospital floors, reflecting the overwhelming strain on local care systems. Graphic images circulating across social media platforms show young children motionless on the ground near the charred site of the schools.
As of the latest update, the main fire has been contained, but plumes of smoke still rise from the smouldering rubble and twisted corrugated metal that once made up the school buildings and surrounding homes. The cause of the blaze remains unconfirmed at this time, with an estimated 300 nearby houses completely destroyed in the spread of the fire.
Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province and a heavily populated hillside city in the DRC, has been under the control of M23 rebels since February 2023. Rebel-appointed local authorities announced they are currently conducting on-site assessments of the disaster, and plan to release a preliminary official death toll by this evening.
The DRC’s national government based in Kinshasa has also publicly addressed the tragedy, releasing a statement on the social platform X that did not disclose specific casualty numbers. “The Ministry of National Education and New Citizenship expressed deep sorrow over the deadly fire,” the statement read. “With several lives lost and many injured, the toll remains provisional. The minister offered condolences, affirmed solidarity with families, and ordered assessments of affected schools to ensure learning continuity.”
This latest disaster comes just one week after a separate fatal fire incident in Kinshasa, where multiple residents died in a stampede during a fire at a wedding banquet hall. In response to that earlier tragedy, the Kinshasa government has already mandated strict new public safety protocols and deployed inspection teams across the country to enforce safety standards at all public gathering venues.