Fire in rebel-held east Congo kills at least 24 schoolchildren, official says

Chimpunda district fire in South Kivu provincial capital

A massive residential fire in the South Kivu provincial capital of Bukavu quickly escalated into a school disaster on Thursday morning. The blaze erupted at approximately 8 a.m. local time in the Chimpunda district, a densely populated area where the majority of houses are constructed from wood.

According to local neighborhood administrator Moïse Lubala, the flames started in a nearby house before rapidly leaping across the closely packed neighborhood to consume both the Ujamaa and Furaha schools. As smoke filled the air, children and teachers found themselves trapped in rooms as panic gripped the campus. The fire destroyed between 300 and 500 wooden houses, leaving behind piles of rubble and twisted corrugated metal sheets after being brought under control by the afternoon.

Witness Pierre Mudahama recalled the sudden onset of the disaster, stating, We were on the avenue and the children had just gone to school when the fire started not far from the school.

Discrepancies in the Toll and Conflicting Sourced Reports

Dunia Masumbuko Bwenge and Lawrence Kanyuka report casualty figures

Local and administrative officials offered varying casualty figures in the immediate aftermath of the disaster, highlighting the chaotic conditions on the ground. Dunia Masumbuko Bwenge, vice governor of South Kivu in the rebel-appointed administration, told Reuters that the provisional death toll stood at 24, comprising 19 girls and five boys. Lawrence Kanyuka, spokesperson for the M23 rebel group that controls the region, confirmed those figures and noted that 29 people were receiving medical care, including 21 in intensive care.

Meanwhile, the South Kivu provincial government reported a higher minimum death toll of 26 students, noting that 19 girls and seven boys were killed and warning that the death toll could rise. Medical workers at individual clinics and local media tracking the disaster also warned that the final count could climb even higher as rescue operations combed through the smoking debris.

Narrow Exits and a Violent Stampede Inside Furaha and Ujamaa Schools

Eyewitnesses and local administrators described a chaotic rush for safety as the fire reached the school gates. Moïse Lubala explained the desperate moments of evacuation:

“The exit was too narrow, so some students began jumping through windows while others rushed toward the door. As everyone tried to force their way out, students were pushed over and trampled on.”

Moïse Lubala, local neighborhood administrator

That harrowing account was echoed by Patrice Buduge, a local leader who told the AFP news agency that the blaze was followed by a violent stampede that forced students to trample over one another or look for a dangerous way out; many of them fainted and others lost consciousness. Lubala added that several students were trapped inside Furaha secondary school and some suffered asphyxiation.

Medical Staff Overwhelmed as Dozens Seek Treatment for Asphyxia

Christophe Zigashane and Ciza Jean-Baptiste treat injured students

Local health facilities quickly filled to capacity as ambulances and residents ferried the injured and deceased away from the smoldering ruins. Christophe Zigashane, a nurse at a local clinic, reported receiving approximately 50 students and several teachers in a critical state of asphyxia, noting that 10 were dead and four others died at the scene, making a total of 14 deaths, all under 10 years old.

At the Nyamulagira BDOM health center, nurse Ciza Jean-Baptiste told The Associated Press that a mix of boys and girls of different ages, students at Furaha and at Ujamaa primary school, were brought in their school uniforms, and medical staff struggled to keep track of the exact number of injured because there were so many. Other facilities also reported heavy casualties, with one local health center receiving 10 bodies and another admitting more than 50 students.

Vulnerability in Rebel-Controlled Eastern Congo

AFC/M23 movement governs Bukavu after February 2025 advance

The catastrophe highlights the profound infrastructural challenges facing Bukavu, which has been governed by the Rwanda-backed AFC/M23 movement since the group seized the city in February 2025. The cause of the fire remains unknown, and the AFC/M23 administration stated that an investigation into the cause and circumstances of the blaze is under way.

The region remains volatile, burdened by more than 100 armed groups vying for control of eastern Congo’s trillions of dollars in mineral wealth critical for global technology, while health services face severe strain amid ongoing health crises.