At least 15 dead in fire disaster in Bukavu

According to authorities, at least 15 students were killed in a fire in the eastern Congolese city of Bukavu. The full extent of the fire disaster could not initially be estimated.

“We believe there are more than 15 dead,” said the governor of South Kivu province, whose capital is Bukavu. Congolese media reports, which cited information from schools and hospitals, even mentioned at least 27 dead children and 29 injured.

The cause of the fire, which destroyed two elementary schools and around 300 homes, was initially unclear. The area of ​​the fire was densely built up. Pictures from the scene of the accident showed completely destroyed corrugated iron huts; according to local residents, wood was also used as building material.

“The children suffocated or died in a mass exodus,” said Justin Muganda, who lives next to one of the affected schools. He took two seriously injured children on his motorcycle to a hospital, but the hospital was already overcrowded with accident victims. The children died on the way to another hospital.

The Ministry of Education in Kinshasa said the cause of the fire was still under investigation. According to the ministry, there have recently been a series of fires in Bukavu, which also affected schools on several occasions.

The central African country's government has no control over Bukavu. The provincial capital was captured in February 2025 by the rebel militia M23, which set up its own administration there.