DR Congo school fire followed by stampede kills 26
The morning blaze in the city of Bukavu triggered a desperate stampede as students struggled to escape from their classrooms.
In Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, at least 26 children lost their lives in a school fire and subsequent stampede on Thursday morning. The fire, which ignited as the children were in class around 9am, led to a chaotic rush for safety. Unicef reported that 25 other children sustained injuries in the incident.
The city, which has been under the control of the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group since February 2025, is notorious for frequent fires due to its wooden houses, inadequate spacing between structures, and unreliable power grid connections. M23 announced a three-day mourning period in response to the tragedy, and funeral arrangements are planned for Saturday.
The densely packed, hilly area where the fire occurred saw numerous homes reduced to charred ruins, prompting residents to sift through the debris. Recent incidents, including a wedding fire in Kinshasa that claimed 12 lives and another fire in Bukavu that killed 14 children in October, highlight the recurrent danger posed by fires in Congolese urban settings.
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- DR Congo school fire followed by stampede kills 26 freemalaysiatoday.com
