India Prime Tv International Desk .Tragedy in Bukavu. The latest details concerning the tragic school fire in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), indicate that the situation remains critical, with updated casualty figures confirming at least 26 to 29 people have died, the vast majority being young students. The South Kivu provincial government formally stated that the victims include 19 girls and 7 boys, while local rebel administrators who control the city initially recorded 24 student fatalities before the toll rose as more succumbed to injuries.

The disaster unfolded rapidly in the heavily populated Chimpunda district of Kadutu commune. A fire broke out in a nearby residential wooden house and quickly raged out of control due to the closely packed, highly flammable structures of the neighborhood. The flames immediately spread to two adjacent institutions: Furaha Secondary School and Ujamaa Primary School, while classes were fully in session. 

The panic inside the schools compounded the tragedy immensely. Because the building exits were too narrow, students rushed the doors in a frenzy, resulting in a deadly stampede where several children were knocked down and trampled underfoot. Many others became trapped deep inside the classrooms of the Furaha secondary building and tragically died from asphyxiation and severe smoke inhalation.

Local medical personnel are currently overwhelmed, reporting that at least 29 people are undergoing intensive treatments for severe burns and breathing complications. Survivors, many still in their bloodied or charred school uniforms, were rushed via motorbikes and ambulances to nearby clinics, including the Kadutu General Hospital and the Bukavu Provincial General Hospital. Emergency services and rebel authorities have since contained the main blaze, but rescue workers warn that the death toll may still rise as search efforts through the rubble of roughly 300 destroyed homes continue.