Bukavu, Sep 16:
Hundreds of people gathered in eastern Congo on Monday for the funeral of 27 young victims killed in a fire that swept through two schools in the city of Bukavu last week. Families mourned the victims as officials laid wreaths and delivered speeches at the mass funeral.
The fire broke out at a house on Thursday before spreading to two adjoining schools, according to local neighbourhood administrator Moise Lubala. Several students were trapped inside Furaha Secondary School, with some reportedly dying from suffocation. Dozens of others were injured in the incident.
The exact cause of the fire remains unknown. The densely populated neighbourhood is largely made up of wooden houses, making the spread of the blaze particularly rapid. Medical staff have also been struggling to establish the precise number of injured amid the large number of casualties. Among those mourning was Annunciat Kujirabwinja Zagabe, who attended the funeral to bid farewell to her 13-year-old grandson, 13-year-old Tuonane Machara wa Kidogo.