- At least 24 students are feared dead after a fire spread from a nearby house to Furaha Secondary School and Ujamaa Primary School in Bukavu, DR Congo.
- M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka has reported 19 girls and five boys among the dead, with 29 others receiving treatment at local medical facilities.
At least 24 students are feared dead after a fire broke out in Bukavu, Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), on Thursday, according to the rebel administration controlling the city.
M23 rebel group spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka said the victims included 19 girls and five boys. He added that 29 other people were receiving treatment at local medical facilities. These figures have not been independently confirmed by government authorities.
According to local neighbourhood administrator Moise Lubala, the fire is understood to have started at a nearby house before spreading to two adjoining schools. He told The Associated Press (AP) that a number of students became trapped inside Furaha Secondary School, with some reportedly suffocating in the process.
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Lubala further described chaotic scenes as students tried to escape. He said the narrow exit forced some students to jump through windows, while others rushed for the door, resulting in students being pushed over and trampled as everyone tried to get out.
Nurse Ciza Jean-Baptiste, speaking to the AP, said a mix of boys and girls of varying ages from both Furaha Secondary School and Ujamaa Primary School were brought to the Nyamulagira BDOM health centre, still in their school uniforms. He noted that medical staff struggled to keep an accurate count of the injured, given the scale of the casualties arriving at once.
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The cause of the fire has not yet been established. However, Lubala noted that the affected neighbourhood is densely populated, with most homes constructed from wood, a detail that may have contributed to how quickly the fire spread.
By Benedict Aoya
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