At least 27 people, mostly students, lost their lives in a massive fire that broke out on the morning of Thursday, September 10, 2026, on Kasheke 3 Avenue in the Buholo-Kasha neighborhood, in the Bagira commune of Bukavu.

However, the death toll remains preliminary. Several other people were injured or are in critical condition as a result of the fire, which broke out around 8 a.m. and caused significant property damage in less than an hour, according to the head of the Buholo-Kasha neighborhood, Mugaruka Buduge Patrice.

More than 500 homes were reduced to ashes. Other homes were also destroyed to prevent the flames from spreading.

Around 11:15 a.m., witnesses reported that several hundred residents—including those affected by the disaster and women who had lost their children and belongings—were in a state of deep distress. Some, with their hands on their cheeks and tears in their eyes, were still trying to grasp the magnitude of the disaster.

Two schools were among the affected buildings, namely Mogo Elementary School and Furaha School. These schools were completely devastated by the flames.

Witness accounts add that students who were inside these schools were caught off guard by the fire. In the ensuing stampede, several of them suffocated, while others were injured, according to one witness.

Residents rallied to try to rescue the victims from the flames. Several people, already severely weakened, were transported to health facilities to receive emergency care. However, dozens of them did not survive, according to the head of the Buholo-Kasha neighborhood, as cited by multiple sources.

As of 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 10, at least 27 bodies had been recovered and were being transported to the morgue by ambulances deployed for this operation. Other students are reportedly in a coma, while several injured individuals continue to receive treatment at healthcare facilities.

Meanwhile, several parents were searching the streets for their children, some of whom were no longer responding to their calls.

For those affected, this disaster represents the loss of several years of hard work and savings, as well as the tragic loss of their children. They are appealing to the authorities and people of goodwill to provide them with assistance.

As night falls, the affected families are preparing to spend their first night under the open sky, far from their homes, while coping with the loss of their loved ones who perished in this disaster.

Written by Akilimali Chomachoma