Congo School Fire: 24 Students Killed as Blaze Spreads From House to 2 Schools (Videos)
A fire on Thursday in Bukavu, eastern Congo, killed at least 24 students, the rebel administration that controls the city said. The spokesperson for the M23 rebel group, Lawrence Kanyuka, said 19 girls and five boys were killed, adding that 29 people were being treated at local medical facilities.
BUKAVU, Congo (AP): A fire on Thursday in Bukavu, eastern Congo, killed at least 24 students, the rebel administration that controls the city said. The spokesperson for the M23 rebel group, Lawrence Kanyuka, said 19 girls and five boys were killed, adding that 29 people were being treated at local medical facilities. The fire started at a house before spreading to two adjoining schools, local neighborhood administrator Moïse Lubala told The Associated Press.
He said several students were trapped inside Furaha secondary school and some suffocated. A mix of boys and girls of different ages, students at Furaha and at Ujamaa primary school, were brought to the Nyamulagira BDOM health center in their school uniforms, nurse Ciza Jean-Baptiste told the AP. Medical staff were struggling to keep track of the exact number of injured because there were so many, he said. Congo Boat Capsize: Overloaded Passenger Boat Sinks in Lulonga River, 145 Feared Dead.
"The exit was too narrow, so some students began jumping through windows while others rushed toward the door. As everyone tried to force their way out, students were pushed over and trampled on," said Lubala. The cause of the fire is not known, but the neighborhood where the fire started is densely populated and most houses are made out of wood, according to Lubala. Train Crash in Congo Kills at Least 13, Mainly Stowaways: CFCO.
4 Students Killed, 29 Injured as Two Schools Catch Fire
At least 20 people, including schoolchildren, have been killed after a fire at a school in Bukavu, eastern DR Congo pic.twitter.com/ntAQfzgEJb
— TRT World Now (@TRTWorldNow) September 10, 2026
🔥 Incendio en escuela de El Congo deja 15 niños muertos; fuego se propagó desde viviendas
Al menos 15 niños murieron tras un incendio en la escuela de Mogo, en Bukavu, República Democrática del Congo.
El fuego comenzó en viviendas aledañas mientras los estudiantes se… pic.twitter.com/1l6lFxeASa
— Luis Alberto Medina (@elalbertomedina) September 10, 2026
Congo's government struggles to exert control over the east of the country. M23 rebels, backed by Rwanda, took control of Bukavu in February 2025. More than 100 armed groups are vying for control of eastern Congo's trillions of dollars in mineral wealth that's critical for much of the world's technology. Health services are under severe strain as the region grapples with the deadliest Ebola outbreak in history that has killed more than 3,300 people, with more than 6,800 confirmed cases recorded.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 10, 2026 11:51 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
