At least 26 children have died after a DRC school fire triggered panic and a stampede in the eastern city of Bukavu, according to UNICEF.
The fire broke out at Ujamaa primary school on Thursday morning while pupils were attending lessons.
Some children tried to escape through doors, while others jumped from upper floors as the blaze spread through the school.
UNICEF said another 25 children were injured.
DRC school fire triggers stampede
The fire began at around 9 a.m., according to reporting by AFP.
A teacher at the school described hearing pupils screaming before seeing children rushing to escape the building.
Congolese education inspectors said the fire caused a stampede. Some children fell and were trampled as pupils attempted to leave.
Other victims trapped inside suffered from smoke inhalation and asphyxiation, according to the education ministry report.
Officials said fires were reported at three locations around 500 metres apart.
Investigation launched into Bukavu fire
Authorities have not yet established what caused the fire.
Officials in Kinshasa and the M23 authorities controlling Bukavu have both called for an investigation.
Africanews, citing AFP, reported that 20 girls and six boys were among those killed.
Three days of mourning were declared in Bukavu following the tragedy.
The city, the capital of South Kivu province, has been under the control of the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group since February 2025.
Hundreds of homes reportedly destroyed
The disaster extended beyond the school.
An education ministry report and a local official said hundreds of homes were also destroyed by the fire.
Bukavu has densely built neighbourhoods, including areas with wooden homes on hillsides. Fires have repeatedly caused deaths and widespread damage in the city.
Specialists cited in the reporting said limited firefighting equipment, tightly packed buildings and unsafe electricity connections contribute to the risk of fires in Congolese cities.
A separate fire in Bukavu in October killed 14 people, most of them children.
Calls for action after deadly fire
The Congolese education ministry expressed profound sadness following the deaths and said the disaster came after a concerning series of fires in Bukavu.
Congolese Nobel Peace Prize laureate Denis Mukwege also called for urgent humanitarian assistance for those affected.
The full circumstances surrounding the latest fire remain under investigation.