Bukavu holds mass funeral for 26 children killed in DR Congo school fire
A mass funeral was held in Bukavu, eastern DR Congo, for 26 children who died in a fire that engulfed a wooden school building. Another 25 children were injured.
Families gathered in the eastern Congolese city of Bukavu around rows of coffins, many carrying photographs of the children they lost, as hundreds attended a funeral service. UNICEF said at least 26 children were killed and 25 others injured in the tragedy.
The fire broke out on Thursday, 11 September, at around 9am local time while students were in class at Ujamaa Primary School in the Chimpunda area of Bukavu's densely populated Kadutu commune. As flames spread through the wooden structure, some children jumped from upper floors to escape while others rushed for the exits, causing a stampede in which pupils were trampled.
According to a report from the Congolese education ministry, three separate fires broke out at locations roughly 500 metres apart, and some victims died of asphyxiation rather than burns. The blaze also spread to nearby homes, with local officials estimating around 300 houses were damaged or destroyed, adding to the toll of injured residents. At the peak of the emergency, 21 patients required intensive care.
Bukavu, capital of South Kivu province, has been controlled by the Rwanda-backed AFC/M23 armed group since February 2025. M23 authorities declared three days of mourning and initially reported 24 deaths, including 19 girls and five boys, before UNICEF revised the toll upward to 26. The cause of the fire has not been determined, and both the Kinshasa government and the M23 administration have called for an investigation.
