School fire in DR Congo leaves more than 20 children dead

A blaze engulfed two schools in the rebel‑held city of Bukavu on Sunday, forcing at least 24 young students and several adults to flee in panic. The resulting stampede left more than 20 children dead, and the death toll may rise as investigators search the Kadutu commune for additional casualties.

The fire, whose cause remains unknown, was reported to have been doused by afternoon but it still smoldered and released smoke from the charred rubble and corrugated metal. Around 300 homes were destroyed in the town, adding to the toll for a community already shaken by violence.

Patients from the disaster scene are being treated in nearby hospitals, where pain‑ridden children lie on beds and urgent care is being moved to remote units. Local and national government officials, along with the Ministry of National Education, have issued statements expressing profound sorrow and calling for an immediate review of school safety and building integrity.

The tragedy echoes a recent fatal fire at a wedding venue in Kinshasa that left several dead in a stampede. In response, Kinshasa authorities have heightened safety inspections across public gathering places nationwide to prevent future lethal incidents.

For the indigenous communities that make up the backbone of Bukavu’s cultural fabric, the loss of school infrastructure threatens not only basic education but also the intergenerational transmission of storytelling traditions, communal songs and ancient survival practices. Community leaders are calling on the government and international partners to provide reparative assistance and culturally relevant safety training so that the next generation can learn without fear.

See also BBC Africa for more information on the region.