This archive report was first published on 1 July 2019.
On a celebratory Sunday evening in Bukavu, DR Congo, a fire ravaged a densely populated neighborhood, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.
According to civil protection official Aime Lubago, the fire started in a house where a woman was preparing donuts and a fuel seller kept at least ten cans of petrol.
Mayor Gerard Munyole of the Kadutu commune reported that a child was killed, three people injured, and 150 homes burned down, leaving approximately 400 families without a roof over their heads.
Another source estimated that over 200 homes were destroyed in the blaze.
"We have nothing left. We spent the night under the stars, (me,) my six children and my wife," said 59-year-old victim Boaz Bahati, reflecting on the devastating loss.
Compounding the challenges faced by emergency responders, a firetruck sent to the scene struggled to navigate the tightly-packed maze of houses built in contravention of urban planning regulations, Lubago noted.
This is not the first time a fire has ravaged a Bukavu neighborhood; a similar incident occurred in another suburb last August.
