At least 24 people, mostly schoolchildren, lost their lives in a fatal stampede while fleeing a raging fire that engulfed two schools and approximately 300 residential structures in the Kadutu commune of Bukavu, eastern DRC. According to national authorities, the exact cause of the fire remains unestablished as investigations continue. As survivors continue to receive medical attention, officials warn that the provisional death toll of 24 could rise as rescue and assessment operations continue.