BUKAVU, DRC — A devastating inferno and resulting stampede at a primary school in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo claimed the lives of at least 26 children on Thursday, with desperate pupils leaping from upper-floor windows to escape the flames, according to the UN children’s agency.
The catastrophic fire erupted around 9:00 a.m. local time at the wooden-built Ujamaa primary school in Bukavu while classes were in session, rapidly engulfing the building and trapping students inside.
“In the middle of class, I suddenly heard students screaming. Some were jumping from the upper floors, and others were running away through the doors,” recalled Simon Kasamira, a teacher treated at a local clinic following the disaster.
“Panicked parents rushed from all over looking for their children. That’s when I saw a huge fire engulfing our school built of wooden planks,” Kasamira added.
Thick plumes of smoke billowed over the city as heartbroken residents and emergency responders sifted through the charred remains of the structure.
Education ministry inspectors reported that as fear spread, a frantic rush for the exits turned into a deadly stampede, leaving children trampled in hallway bottlenecks and stairwells.
Many of those who could not reach the exits succumbed to severe smoke inhalation and asphyxiation inside the burning facility.
Investigators noted an alarming detail in their initial report: fires broke out almost simultaneously at three separate locations within a 500-meter radius, raising immediate security concerns.
UNICEF confirmed that in addition to the fatalities, at least 25 children sustained severe injuries and remain hospitalized.
The tragedy hits a community already under immense strain. Bukavu, the strategic capital of South Kivu province, has been under the control of the M23 armed group since February 2025 following intensified fighting in the mineral-rich eastern territory.
A History of Recurring Fires and Infrastructure Crisis
Following the disaster, local authorities declared three days of official mourning to honor the young victims.
Funerals for the victims — confirmed to be 20 girls and six boys — are scheduled for Saturday as grief sweeps through the city.
Bukavu, situated along Lake Kivu, is heavily densely built with wooden houses packed tightly on steep hillsides, creating a highly vulnerable environment where fires quickly become uncontrollable.
Both Kinshasa national authorities and local administrators have launched formal investigations to determine whether electrical failure, negligence, or foul play caused the initial spark.
The incident has triggered widespread outrage and sorrow across the nation, where decades of conflict have severely strained local public infrastructure and emergency service capabilities.
Expressing “profound sadness,” the Congolese Education Ministry highlighted that Thursday’s loss of life follows a alarming pattern of urban blazes in Bukavu.
Just last October, a similar residential fire in Bukavu claimed 14 lives, most of whom were also children.
Urban safety experts point out that major cities in the DRC lack standard firefighting equipment and hydrants, while illegal grid connections and non-existent building separation exacerbate fire hazards.
The school disaster comes just days after a wedding hall fire in the capital, Kinshasa, killed 12 people.
Beyond the school itself, official reports confirm the raging fire spread to adjacent residential neighborhoods, destroying hundreds of nearby homes.
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dr. Denis Mukwege urged international agencies and local authorities to take “urgent measures” to mobilize humanitarian assistance for grieving and displaced families.
“A tragedy of such magnitude, which has shattered the dreams and futures of so many children, cannot become just another news story,” Dr. Mukwege stated.
