At least 20 killed in school fire in rebel-held DR Congo city

A morning fire on Thursday in Bukavu’s Chimpunda district gutted homes and spread into two primary schools, killing dozens and leaving many injured, local media and medical staff said. United Nations Radio Okapi, citing local authorities, reported 20 fatalities after flames reached Ujamaa and Furaha primary schools as well as an adjacent settlement at about 8 a.m. Footage verified by Al Jazeera showed the blaze consuming multiple houses and spreading toward the school buildings.

Accounts of the toll vary. Dunia Masumbuko Bwenge, who serves as vice governor in the administration appointed by the Rwanda-backed AFC/M23 movement, told Reuters 24 people had died — 19 girls and five boys — and that 29 others were injured. A nurse at a local clinic, Christophe Zigashane, told AFP his facility received around 50 students and several teachers in critical condition from smoke inhalation; he said 14 children had died, including 10 who arrived at the clinic and four who died at the scene.

Local leader Patrice Buduge described a violent stampede after the fire began, saying students were forced to trample one another or take dangerous escape routes; many fainted or lost consciousness. Several people were treated for smoke inhalation, with some in critical condition. Local media also reported that between 300 and 500 homes and a clinic were ravaged, and that the death toll was provisional while the cause of the blaze remained under investigation.

Bukavu has been under the control of the Rwanda-backed AFC/M23 rebel movement since the group’s offensive last year. Congolese outlets noted the city had experienced a series of recent fires, including one the previous Sunday that destroyed more than 45 houses, highlighting ongoing threats to civilian safety and shelter in the provincial capital.