The eastern Congolese city of Bukavu fell silent on Monday as families and officials gathered for a mass funeral of 26 children who died in a school fire and the ensuing stampede three days earlier. The victims, aged between six and twelve, were pupils at a primary school in the Kadutu district, one of the most densely populated areas of the city.
The fire broke out on Friday morning, reportedly in a classroom where the children were gathered. Panic quickly spread through the school compound, and many of the deaths were caused by the stampede as pupils and staff tried to escape the flames. Witnesses described scenes of chaos, with teachers and neighbours rushing to pull children from the burning building.
Grief and demands for answers
At the funeral, held at a stadium in Bukavu, rows of small white coffins were lined up as grieving parents, relatives, and local dignitaries paid their respects. The provincial governor, Theo Ngwabidje Kasi, addressed the crowd, promising that those responsible would be held to account. “We will not let this tragedy pass without consequences,” he said.
UNICEF, which has a strong presence in the region, issued a statement expressing deep sorrow and calling for an immediate and transparent investigation. “Every child lost in this fire is a child whose future was stolen,” said a UNICEF representative in the Democratic Republic of Congo. “We urge the authorities to determine exactly what happened and to implement measures to prevent such a catastrophe from ever recurring.”
The cause of the fire remains unclear. Preliminary reports suggest an electrical fault may have been responsible, but local residents and some parents have raised questions about the safety standards at the school, including the lack of fire escapes and the overcrowding in classrooms. The school, like many in the region, operates with minimal resources and little oversight.
A wider crisis in education
The tragedy in Bukavu highlights a broader crisis in education across the Democratic Republic of Congo, where years of conflict, poverty, and underinvestment have left schools dangerously under-equipped. According to the UN, more than 20 million children in the country are out of school, and many of those who do attend face conditions that are far from safe.
This incident also resonates beyond the DRC, echoing concerns across the African continent and in Europe, where education safety standards are often taken for granted. In recent years, similar tragedies have occurred in other parts of Africa, prompting calls for international support to improve school infrastructure and emergency preparedness.
For the families in Bukavu, however, the focus is on mourning and on seeking justice. Many parents expressed anger and frustration, saying that the school had been warned about potential hazards before. “My daughter went to school that morning, and I never saw her again,” one father told local media. “They must tell us why this happened.”
The government has announced a compensation fund for the victims' families, but many say that money cannot bring back their children. As the coffins were lowered into the ground, the sound of weeping filled the air, a stark reminder of the human cost of neglect.
In the aftermath, the authorities have ordered the closure of all schools in the Kadutu district pending safety inspections. But for the people of Bukavu, the scars will remain. The tragedy has also drawn attention to the wider challenges facing the region, where instability and poverty continue to undermine the most basic rights of children.
As the international community expresses its condolences, the call for a thorough investigation is growing louder. The European Union, which has funded education projects in the DRC, has offered support to improve school safety. But as the long-term impact of disrupted schooling becomes ever more apparent, the need for concrete action is urgent.
For now, Bukavu mourns. The city, which has seen more than its share of hardship, must now find a way to heal. The memory of those 26 children, their lives cut short in a matter of minutes, will not be forgotten.
