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At least 26 children have died after a fire and stampede at a school in Bukavu, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the United Nations Children’s Fund has said.
The fire broke out at about 9am on Thursday while the children were in class, triggering a stampede as pupils desperately tried to escape.
UNICEF said another 25 children were injured in the incident.
Bukavu, a major city and the capital of South Kivu Province, has been controlled by the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group since February 2025 after the group intensified its campaign to seize territory in the mineral-rich eastern DRC.
M23 declared three days of mourning on Friday following the tragedy, which has triggered an emotional response across the country.
Funerals for the victims are expected to take place on Saturday.
Fire destroys Bukavu neighbourhood
Bukavu, located on the shores of Lake Kivu, is known for its wooden houses built along steep hillsides, where deadly fires frequently occur.
Thursday’s blaze devastated a densely populated area on one such slope, leaving residents searching through the remains of charred homes and twisted sheets of metal.
Fires are common in cities across the DRC, where firefighting equipment and other emergency resources are often limited.
Specialists have attributed many such incidents to overcrowded settlements, inadequate spacing between buildings and illegal connections to the electricity grid.
The latest tragedy comes amid a series of deadly fires in the country.
A fire at a wedding ceremony in the capital, Kinshasa, killed 12 people last week, while another blaze in Bukavu in October killed 14 people, most of them children.
Authorities and residents are expected to begin funeral arrangements for the victims as investigations into Thursday’s fire continue.
