Fire and stampede at Bukavu schools kill at least 26 children in eastern DR Congo

Blaze and stampede in Kadutu

A fire broke out around 09:00 local time on Thursday in the Tshimpunda neighborhood of Kadutu commune in Bukavu, rapidly spreading to hillside houses and two primary school complexes. The wooden structure of the Ujamaa primary school was quickly caught in the flames while classes were underway, triggering widespread panic among pupils and teachers. Children attempted to escape by rushing toward doorways or leaping from upper floors before thick smoke filled the classrooms. Parents from surrounding neighborhoods rushed to the scene as smoke rose over the hillside to search for their children among the ruins. An inspection report from the Ministry of Education noted that fires erupted simultaneously in three distinct locations separated by approximately 500 meters.

“In the middle of class, I suddenly heard the students screaming; some were jumping from the upper floors and others were fleeing through the doors.”

Toll and emergency medical response

The fire and resulting stampede killed at least 26 children, consisting of 20 girls and six boys according to figures released by UNICEF and local administrators. Unnamed healthcare sources in Bukavu reported that the death toll had reached at least 27 victims. Many of the deceased pupils died from asphyxiation or were trampled after falling to the ground in crowded hallways during the evacuation. Rescue teams pulled survivors from the debris, but at least 29 people were hospitalized, including 21 patients placed in intensive care units.

Girls20

Boys6

Girls

20 children

Boys

6 children

Data from the article text

Medical teams and humanitarian workers provided emergency treatment to at least 26 injured children in local clinics across the city. UNICEF warned that the complete destruction of two primary schools and multiple residences will inflict lasting psychological distress on children in an already unstable environment. Displaced families whose hillside wooden homes burned to the ground took shelter in neighboring schools while awaiting emergency relief supplies. Local community leaders and relatives gathered at the city morgue on Friday to identify victims and organize support for bereaved households.

“We must first prepare the funerals of the pupils who lost their lives. Afterward, we do not know if we will direct the pupils to other schools. It will depend on the authorities and the assessment of the parents.”

Urban vulnerability and administrative response

Bukavu, the provincial capital of South Kivu located on the shores of Lake Kivu, has experienced recurrent deadly fires due to densely clustered wooden homes constructed along steep hillsides. In October 2025, an earlier blaze in the city killed 14 people, including 12 children. On Friday, three separate fires broke out in other parts of Bukavu while recovery teams continued clearing charred sheets of corrugated iron in Kadutu. The provincial capital has been under the control of the AFC and M23 armed movement since February 2025.

The AFC and M23 administration declared three days of public mourning lasting through Sunday and scheduled an official funeral ceremony for Saturday at 11:00 in the grounds of Bukavu General Hospital. Both the national government in Kinshasa and the de facto M23 authorities announced independent investigations to determine the cause of the disaster. Educational authorities and neighborhood representatives are assessing options to reassign surviving pupils to nearby institutions once funeral proceedings conclude.