Bukavu holds funerals for 27 school fire victims

Bukavu held funerals on September 14 for 27 people killed in a school fire in the Cimpunda district. The blaze occurred on September 10 and claimed the lives of six adults and several minors who were students at the school.

The provincial coordination of the Civil Society of South Kivu described the situation as a humanitarian catastrophe. The group noted that a series of fires has affected the city for at least a week, destroying hundreds of homes, two schools, a church, and 66 shops in the Kadutu market. In Ponzi, 40 homes were destroyed and three people died, while 174 families in Nyamugo were left homeless. The civil society also cited Congolese administration figures from Uvira stating that 2,500 homes were destroyed by fire between July and August.

The civil society expressed concern that the M23 rebel administration, which currently controls Bukavu, has not investigated the causes of these fires or deployed fire services. The group also stated that the administration is collecting taxes from the local population without providing necessary services.