- Fire at Kinshasa wedding party killed 22 people.
- Narrow hallways hindered escape, tragically increasing death toll.
- Deadly fires common in Kinshasa's densely populated areas.
Kinshasa: A fire at a wedding party in Congo's capital Kinshasa left at least 22 people dead, the regional mayor said Saturday. Several others were injured. The fire started on Friday night and continued into early Saturday in a building in Lingwala in northern Kinshasa. The building's narrow hallways were constricted by people trying to escape the fire.
Plusieurs morts à la salle Panacée : le mariage de Bernadette et Magloire vire au drame
— TOP CONGO VERITE (@congoveritetop) September 5, 2026
La fête a tourné au cauchemar à Kinshasa. Dans la nuit du 4 au 5 septembre, un incendie d'origine accidentelle a ravagé une salle de réception située non loin du Musée national @wembi_steve pic.twitter.com/nWoaasAhFT
Several people - some alive and some dead - were laid by the roadside as attendees tried to help those who were still alive.
Death toll may rise
The mayor of Lingwala, Norbert Mushinga, told the Congolese Press Agency that the provisional death toll was 22. He said the toll could rise further.
Kinshasa,Congo 🇨🇩:Twenty-two (22) dead ☠️ after a fire 🔥 broke out at a wedding in the compound of the Protestant University of Congo (UPC) on Triomphal Boulevard. pic.twitter.com/1MFSUhrK5p
— marknehpets (@mapkpets) September 5, 2026
"It is a tragedy": Congo Deputy PM
The exact cause of the fire was unconfirmed. "It is a tragedy," Jacquemin Shabani, Congo's deputy prime minister and interior minister, said. The minister visited the site Saturday morning.
Deadly fires are common in densely populated areas of Kinshasa where urban development is often implemented without provisions such as fire services. Fires are common during the dry season, and several have taken place this year, according to local media.
(Note: Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by The Daily Jagran and has been published through a syndicated feed. Source - PTI)