Tragic School Fire in Rebel-Held Bukavu Claims At Least 20 Lives

Congolese civilians have gathered to salvage their belongings from the ruins of a fire at a school and neighbouring settlement in an area controlled by Rwanda-backed AFC/M23 rebels in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, on September 10, 2026.

A devastating fire in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC) rebel-controlled city of Bukavu has killed at least 20 people, including many students, according to local media and medical sources. United Nations Radio Okapi, quoting local authorities, reported that 20 people were killed and an unspecified number injured on Thursday when the blaze broke out in the Chimpunda district of Bukavu, which serves as South Kivu’s provincial capital.

The incident took place at Ujamaa and Furaha primary schools alongside a nearby settlement at approximately 8am local time. Local leader Patrice Buduge told the AFP news agency that the fire 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."

Dunia Masumbuko Bwenge, an official from the rebel administration, informed the Reuters news agency that 24 people had died—specifically 19 girls and five boys. Bwenge, who serves as the vice governor of South Kivu province in the government appointed by the Rwanda-backed AFC/M23 movement, added that 29 others sustained injuries.

Christophe Zigashane, a nurse at a local clinic, told AFP that at least 14 children were among the dead. "We received around 50 students, including several teachers, in a critical state of asphyxia," he said, noting that the overall toll included young victims under the age of 10.

Footage verified by Al Jazeera showed the blaze consuming numerous houses as flames spread to the two schools. Local media reports indicated that the fire also ravaged between 300 and 500 homes and a local clinic, while the official death toll remains provisional and the exact cause is yet to be established. Several individuals received treatment for smoke inhalation, with some remaining in critical condition. Congolese media noted that Bukavu has experienced multiple fires recently, including another blaze last Sunday that destroyed more than 45 houses. Bukavu has remained under the control of AFC/M23 rebels since the group launched a lightning offensive in eastern DRC last year.