Congo-Kinshasa: 24 Children Die in DR Congo School Fire

Tony Webster/Wikimedia Commons
(file photo).
11 September 2026
allAfrica.com

At least 24 children have died in a stampede after a fire broke out at two schools in the rebel-held city of Bukavu in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Officials said that adults may also be among the dead. They warned that the toll could rise, with many survivors taken to nearby hospitals for treatment. The fire destroyed around 300 homes in the densely populated Kadutu commune. Its cause remains unknown. Images from the scene showed injured children receiving treatment.

Witnesses reported smoke continuing to rise from the rubble after firefighters extinguished the blaze.

The disaster comes days after a separate stampede at a wedding venue in Kinshasa killed several people.

The government has ordered tighter safety measures at public gathering places.

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