The fire and the resulting stampede at a school in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo left “at least 26 children” dead, UNICEF reported in a statement released yesterday, Friday.
According to local authorities, the fire broke out for unknown reasons on Thursday morning, around 9:00 a.m. (local time; 10:00 a.m. Cyprus time), near a school in Bukavu, while the children were in their classrooms attending classes. The fire caused panic and a stampede, with many students dying from asphyxiation.
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Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province (in the east), fell in February 2025 to the M23 armed movement, which is supported by Rwanda: its fighters seized vast swaths of territory after reemerging and established a parallel government.
On the shores of Lake Kivu, known for its wooden houses, often nestled on hillsides, the city is frequently ravaged by deadly fires. The tragedy sparked intense emotional reactions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a country torn in two by the long-standing war between Kinshasa and the M23.
The movement reported that 26 children had been killed, “twenty girls and six boys,” and announced yesterday that it was declaring “three days of mourning” and that an investigation into the case had begun.
The victims’ funeral will be held in Bukavu, attended by representatives of the M23’s de facto authorities. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund, at least 25 other children were injured in the stampede.
The general administration building of the University of Kisangani ravaged by a fire@OMELONGA_LENS @ImperiumDan @Observateur_X pic.twitter.com/tMbZeQbrQw
— Dr. Franck Onema (@FranckOnem60538) September 11, 2026
The fire swept through a densely built-up area on a hillside, leaving behind the ruins of houses, an Agence France-Presse correspondent reported on Thursday.
In October 2025, a fire claimed the lives of 14 people, including 12 children, in the capital of South Kivu province.
Source: CNA
