The March 23 Movement (M23), a rebel group that dominates the city of Bukavu, in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), has revised downwards the death toll from the fire that occurred the night before, setting it at 26 deceased, all of them minors, and has declared three days of mourning.
The Congo River Alliance (AFC), the political arm of the M23 militias, has detailed in a statement disseminated on social media that among the dead there are "20 girls and six boys," and that the fire has also caused "several dozens" of injuries, who continue to receive care in various health centers in Bukavu, the capital of the Kivu South province.
The group has emphasized that this is a provisional count, after medical sources initially raised the death toll to 29 due to the "serious" incident, regarding which it has expressed its "deep dismay."
In response to the tragedy, the M23 has proclaimed three days of national mourning starting this Friday, during which the country's flag "and that of the AFC/M23" will remain at half-mast on all buildings under its control in this province bordering Rwanda and Burundi.
The fire broke out in a house in the Cimpunda neighborhood and spread rapidly, affecting about 50 additional houses and unleashing scenes of panic among residents, as well as among the students of the primary schools of Furaha and Ujama.