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Bukavu School Fire Kills 26 Children in Eastern DR Congo — AI-generated representative image: Smoke rises over a densely built neighborhood in Bukavu, eastern DR Congo, after a fire destroyed homes and two schools.

Editorial Team

Blaze tore through two schools and hundreds of homes in Cimpunda, South Kivu, with the death toll expected to rise

At least 26 students were killed on Thursday when a fire swept through two schools and hundreds of homes in Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu Province in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, according to local authorities.

The blaze began in a house in the densely populated Cimpunda neighborhood on Thursday morning before spreading to the adjoining Furaha and Ujamaa schools. Several children reportedly suffocated after becoming trapped, while others were caught in a violent stampede as they tried to escape.

The disaster has devastated a community already living under the control of the AFC/M23 rebel coalition, which has held Bukavu since February 2025. It also underscores the heightened vulnerability of residents in the city's crowded, wooden-built neighborhoods, where fires have repeatedly caused mass casualties and destruction in recent weeks.

The tragedy comes less than a week after a fire at a wedding party in the capital Kinshasa killed at least 22 people, and follows a week in which more than 700 homes burned in separate fires across Bukavu.

Confirmed Casualties and Damage

A statement from the South Kivu provincial authorities put the toll at 19 girls and seven boys and warned that the figure could rise. More than 300 homes were reportedly destroyed in the fire.

The Congo River Alliance/March 23 Movement (AFC/M23) rebel coalition, which controls Bukavu, earlier reported 24 deaths and 29 injuries. It said 21 patients were in intensive care and that an investigation is ongoing to determine the cause of the fire. The exact cause remains unknown.

Cimpunda administrator Moise Lubala said the closely packed wooden buildings in the neighborhood contributed to the rapid spread of the flames, while narrow exits caused a crush at the schools.

Recent Fires and Rebel Control

Thursday's disaster came less than a week after a fire at a wedding party in Kinshasa killed at least 22 people. During the week ending September 6, more than 700 homes burned in separate fires across Bukavu, according to UN-operated broadcaster Radio Okapi.

The AFC/M23 has controlled Bukavu since February 2025, when its advance forced Congolese and allied Burundian troops to withdraw. The coalition seized Goma, the capital of neighboring North Kivu, a month earlier during clashes with government forces. Kinshasa and several Western governments accuse Rwanda of supporting the rebels, which Kigali denies. The rebels have since established parallel administrations across large areas of eastern DR Congo, where armed groups compete for control of the region's mineral wealth.

Official Responses

DR Congo government spokesman Patrick Muyaya said Kinshasa is following the incident with deep concern. "While the city remains under illegal occupation, we express our solidarity with the students, teachers, parents, and families affected," he wrote on X.

The Congolese Education Ministry said students and teachers in areas under occupation remain part of the national education system and "at the heart of the nation's responsibility and solidarity." The ministry described the fire as the latest in a series that have damaged schools in Bukavu.

Investigation and Next Steps

The Education Ministry has ordered an assessment of the damage and measures to support victims and continue classes. An investigation into the cause of the fire remains ongoing, and authorities have warned that the death toll could still rise.