At least 26 students were killed and dozens more injured in a fire that engulfed two neighboring schools in the city of Bukavu in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Associated Press reports this, citing the authorities of South Kivu province, UNN writes.
Details
Among those killed were 19 girls and 7 boys. Authorities warn that the death toll may rise.
According to preliminary data, the fire broke out in a residential building, after which the flames spread to the nearby schools. Local administrator Moise Lubala told AP that some students were trapped inside the building.
Some children suffocated at the school
According to Lubala, several students were unable to escape from the Furaha secondary school, and some of them suffocated.
Lawrence Kanyuka, a spokesperson for the M23 group, which controls Bukavu, had earlier reported that 24 students had been killed and 29 people taken to local medical facilities.
Nurse Siza Jean-Baptiste told AP that boys and girls of various ages from the Furaha and Ujamaa schools were brought to the BDOM Nyamlagira medical center. The children were wearing school uniforms when they were admitted.
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