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At least 26 children have died in a DR Congo school fire. Two schools in Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, were affected by the fire as students panicked and a stampede began while they tried to escape.
The tragedy happened on Thursday, September 10, in Bukavu. UNICEF confirmed on September 11 that 26 children had died and 25 others were injured.
The fire started while the children were in class. A teacher said she heard students screaming as they tried to leave the building. Some students ran out through the doors, while others jumped from the upper floors because they could not get out safely.
DR Congo school fire.
The escape turned into a stampede as a large number of students tried to leave at the same time. Local officials said some students were trapped after falling while rushing to escape, while others had trouble breathing because the building was filled with smoke.
The education ministry said the fire destroyed hundreds of homes and the two schools in the Furaha and Ujamaa areas. Injured children were taken for medical treatment.
The cause of the fire is not yet known. Authorities have called for an investigation into how the fire started and how it spread to the schools.
Experts have linked frequent urban fires in Congolese cities to several factors, including limited firefighting equipment, buildings that are too close together, and poor electrical connections. These conditions can make it difficult to control a fire once it starts.
Bukavu has been under the control of the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group since February 2025, after the group expanded its campaign across parts of eastern DR Congo.
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After the DR Congo school fire was brought under control, families and residents returned to the affected area. They searched through what was left behind after the fire. Photos from Bukavu showed survivors and families walking through the burned buildings and looking through damaged property.
For families who lost their children, the tragedy has left them grieving as they try to cope with the loss.
Congolese Nobel Peace Prize laureate Denis Mukwege called for urgent measures to provide humanitarian aid to those affected by the tragedy.
“A tragedy of such magnitude, which has shattered the dreams and futures of so many children, cannot become just another news story,” he wrote on X.
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