At least 14 children have died after a fire broke out near a school in Bukavu, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), triggering a violent stampede as students tried to escape.
The fire broke out on Thursday morning in the Bagira area of Bukavu while children were in class. The blaze spread rapidly through the densely populated neighbourhood, reaching nearby schools and homes.
Local officials said the fire sparked panic among students, with some attempting to escape through doors while others sought alternative routes. A local leader, Patrice Buduge, said the resulting stampede caused students to fall, trample one another and lose consciousness.
A health worker, Christophe Zigashane, said a nearby clinic received about 50 students and teachers suffering from severe asphyxia. He reported that 10 children were already dead when they arrived, while four others died at the scene, bringing the confirmed toll to 14, all reportedly under the age of 10.
The incident also left dozens of people injured. Zigashane said 27 people, including two teachers, were transferred to other hospitals in critical condition.
However, casualty figures remained provisional. A local official cited by AFP put the broader death toll at 27 and said more than 500 homes had been destroyed, although AFP said it could not independently verify those figures with other official sources.
Other reports citing officials said the fire affected two schools, Ujamaa Primary School and Furaha Secondary School, as well as hundreds of wooden homes in the surrounding community. The cause of the fire had not been established at the time of reporting.
The tragedy has renewed concerns about fire safety in Bukavu, a densely populated city where many homes are constructed from wooden materials and fires can spread quickly. Large columns of smoke were still visible around the affected area several hours after the fire began.
The incident occurred in South Kivu province, where Bukavu has been under the control of the M23/AFC armed group since 2025. Investigations into the cause of the fire and the full number of casualties are continuing.
