Bukavu, Sept. 10 (SANA)At least 24 students were killed and dozens injured Thursday after a fire spread through two adjoining schools in Bukavu, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, local officials and the rebel administration controlling the city said.

Local sources said 19 girls and five boys were killed, while 29 injured people were receiving treatment at local medical facilities.

The fire began in a house before spreading toboth schools, where several students were trapped inside Furaha School, with some dying from suffocation.

The sources said the schools’ narrow exits caused panic as students attempted to escape, with some jumping through windows while others were pushed over and trampled as they rushed toward the doors.

The cause of the fire remains unknown. The densely populated neighbourhood contains many wooden houses, which may have contributed to the rapid spread of the flames.

Bukavu has been controlled by the Rwanda-backed M23 group since February 2025. More than 100 armed groups are active in eastern Congo, competing for control of the region’s mineral resources.

Health services in the region are also under severe pressure from an Ebola outbreak that has killed more than 3,300 people, with over 6,800 confirmed cases recorded.