Fire at Congo Schools Kills at Least 17

A fire tore through two primary schools in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo city of Bukavu on Thursday morning, killing at least 17 people — most of them children — with local officials warning the toll could climb past 20.

A fire broke out around 8 a.m. local time Thursday at the Ujamaa and Furaha primary schools in Bukavu's Kadutu commune, killing at least 17 people, most of them children.

Officials told the BBC that a stampede broke out as students tried to flee the flames, adding to the casualties.

Bukavu has been held by the AFC/M23 rebel alliance since the group seized the city in February of last year, so emergency response and casualty reporting are running through rebel-appointed authorities rather than the government in Kinshasa.

The Numbers

Reported death tolls vary by source. Reuters and the Jerusalem Post put the figure at at least 17; Al Jazeera reported at least 20; the BBC said more than 20 children were feared dead. The rebel administration's vice governor for South Kivu said 24 people were killed, while the rebel alliance's coordinator put the figure at around 10.

A local nurse told AFP that at least 14 of those killed were children under 10. More than 50 students and teachers were admitted to local hospitals in critical condition, and between 300 and 500 homes plus a nearby clinic were destroyed.