At least 24 schoolchildren were killed and 29 others injured after a fire swept through a densely populated neighbourhood in Bukavu, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), on Thursday morning.
The fire started around 8 a.m. in a house in Cimpunda, in Kadutu municipality, before spreading rapidly to nearby buildings. It later reached Ujamaa and Furaha primary schools, while more than 300 homes were destroyed, according to local authorities.
All those killed were children 19 girls and five boys. Some victims reportedly died from smoke inhalation, while others were caught in the rush to escape the flames.
A local resident, Zihaliwa Mweze, described the scene as chaotic as residents tried to flee.
“We heard people calling for help as we were trying to get out. We went back inside. The flames rose and spread until they engulfed the whole neighbourhood.”
Medical teams treated the injured at several health facilities. Jean-Baptiste Ciza, a nurse at BDOM, said some children arrived at the facility already dead, while others were transferred to hospitals for further treatment.
The extensive destruction has left hundreds of families without homes and raised fresh concerns about fire safety and emergency response in Bukavu’s densely built neighbourhoods.
Authorities have not yet established the cause of the fire. Investigations are expected to determine how it began and why it spread so quickly.
African Updates