A fire broke out at a wedding party in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, on September 4, resulting in at least 22 fatalities. The blaze continued into the early hours of September 5, trapping guests who attempted to flee through narrow corridors within the building.
Attendees laid out the bodies of the deceased and injured on the roadside as they tried to assist survivors. Images from the scene show the exterior of the two-story building scorched by the flames, with the interior also heavily damaged, leaving only remnants of tables, chairs, and decorations.
Norbert Mushinga, the mayor of Lingwala district where the incident occurred, stated that the provisional death toll was 22, but cautioned that this number could increase. The exact cause of the fire has not yet been determined, though officials are considering an electrical fault or the building's decorations as potential culprits.
Those injured during the escape were transported to nearby medical facilities. Jacquemin Shabani, Congo's deputy prime minister and interior minister, visited the site and described the event as a tragedy.
Deadly fires are reported to be a recurring issue in the densely populated areas of Kinshasa, often exacerbated by urban development that lacks adequate safety provisions, including fire services. The likelihood of fires is also noted to be significantly higher during the dry season, with several incidents reported earlier this year.