World · 11 September 2026
DR Congo school fire claims 24 children's lives in Bukavu
Illustration: AI-generated for editorial context. Not photographic evidence.
Deaths resulted from a stampede as people fled a blaze that consumed two schools in Bukavu, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. On Thursday evening, authorities in the rebel-controlled city announced a preliminary count of 24 schoolchildren dead. The fire also destroyed about 300 houses in the densely populated Kadutu commune.
Reported by BBC · How we write briefs