At least 26 children have died following a devastating fire and stampede at a school in Bukavu, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has reported.
Another 25 children were injured in the tragedy, which occurred on Thursday while students were attending classes.
According to reports, the fire started at about 9am local time, sending students into panic as they attempted to flee the burning school.
The incident occurred in Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu Province and a densely populated city located along the shores of Lake Kivu.
The disaster has sparked widespread grief across the country, with the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group, which has controlled Bukavu since February 2025, declaring three days of mourning following the tragedy.
Funeral ceremonies for the victims are expected to be held on Saturday.
Bukavu is characterised by densely packed wooden houses built along steep hillsides, making the city particularly vulnerable to devastating fires. Thursday’s blaze destroyed a large section of a densely populated hillside, leaving residents searching through the remains of burned buildings and twisted metal sheets.
Fire outbreaks are relatively common in Congolese cities, where firefighting infrastructure and emergency response services remain inadequate. Experts have also linked the frequent incidents to overcrowded construction and illegal connections to the electricity grid.
The latest tragedy comes only days after a fire at a wedding ceremony in Kinshasa, the country’s capital, reportedly claimed 12 lives.
Bukavu has also witnessed deadly fires in the past, including an October incident in which 14 people, mostly children, were killed.
The repeated tragedies have renewed concerns over fire safety, emergency preparedness and the safety of children and residents living in densely populated communities across the Democratic Republic of Congo.
