Over 20 children feared dead after fire hits two Bukavu schools

Officials reported a stampede after a fire broke out and quickly engulfed two schools in Bukavu, a city in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo that remains under rebel control. Emergency responders arrived to find dozens of students and staff fleeing the flames, with many tripping and falling as they rushed toward the limited exits. Local authorities said the blaze began in the early afternoon, spreading from a kitchen area in one school to the adjacent building, and that the conflagration ignited flammable materials stored on site.

The incident has prompted an investigation by provincial officials to determine the fire’s origin and assess the safety standards of the affected institutions. Health workers are treating those injured in the stampede, while families of the displaced students have been gathered at temporary shelters. Authorities have called for heightened security and fire‑prevention measures in schools across the region to prevent similar tragedies.