At least 29 people have been killed in a devastating fire in Bukavu, a rebel-controlled city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo). Most of the victims were students, according to local officials. Al Jazeera reported the incident.

On Thursday, Lawrence Kanyuka, spokesperson for the AFC/M23 rebel group, said 19 girls and five boys were among those killed. The identities of several other victims had not been immediately confirmed.

The fire broke out around 8:00 a.m. local time in the Chimpunda area of Bukavu and later spread to two local schools and surrounding areas. UN-run Radio Okapi reported that the Ujama Primary School and Furaha Secondary School were affected, while a nearby residential area was also damaged.

Panic spread among students as the fire intensified, prompting many to try to escape. Local official Patrice Buduge told AFP that a stampede occurred during the evacuation, resulting in several deaths. Students suffering from breathing difficulties were taken to local hospitals for treatment.

Dunia Masumbuko Bweunge, deputy governor of South Kivu province, told Reuters that around 300 wooden houses, in addition to the two schools, were destroyed by the fire.

Meanwhile, AFC/M23 spokesperson Kanyuka said 29 injured people were receiving treatment at various local medical facilities. Twenty-one of them were in intensive care. Seventeen seriously injured people were being treated at Kadutu General Hospital, while four others were receiving treatment at Bukavu Provincial General Hospital.

Bukavu, the capital of DR Congo’s South Kivu province, has been under the control of the Rwanda-backed AFC/M23 rebel group since February 2025. The group seized control of the city after intensifying its military campaign to capture large areas of the mineral-rich country’s eastern region.

Source: Al Jazeera