At least 24 children were killed after a fire swept through a rebel-controlled area of Bukavu in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, destroying two schools and around 300 wooden houses, according to an official from the local administration.

Dunia Masumbuko Bwenge, vice governor of South Kivu province, said the victims included 19 girls and five boys. The AFC/M23 rebel administration said the death toll was provisional and that an investigation had been launched to determine how the fire started and what caused it to spread.

The group said 29 people were receiving medical treatment, including 21 patients in intensive care.

The blaze struck the settlement in Bukavu, an area controlled by the Rwanda-backed AFC/M23 movement. The group seized the city during a rapid offensive across eastern Congo last year.

Emergency responders and residents worked to put out the fire and evacuate victims. Although the flames had been extinguished by the afternoon, white smoke continued to rise from piles of debris and twisted sheets of corrugated metal.

Local resident Pierre Mudahama said children had just arrived at school when the fire began nearby. He said ambulances later arrived to transport the dead and injured.

Residents and health workers warned that the death toll could increase as authorities continued searching the affected area and identifying victims.

Accounts from local medical facilities indicated that the number of casualties could be higher than the provisional figures released by the rebel administration. One hospital said it had admitted more than 50 students, with 14 of them later dying from their injuries.

A local health centre reported receiving 10 bodies, while one witness told Reuters that he had helped load 17 bodies, including both children and adults, into an ambulance.

The fire destroyed large sections of the settlement, leaving schools and homes reduced to smouldering ruins. Images from the scene showed residents attempting to extinguish the flames with buckets of water while smoke rose over the damaged area.

Authorities said investigations were underway to establish the cause of the fire and determine the full number of victims.

SOURCE: Reuters, published September 10–11, 2026.