The overnight blaze swept through a crowded reception hall in Lingwala, where officials said difficult evacuation conditions contributed to panic.
KINSHASA, Congo — At least 22 people were reported dead after a fire erupted during a wedding celebration in Congo’s capital, according to an initial casualty count from the mayor of Lingwala, though later official statements gave a lower figure as authorities worked Saturday to reconcile the toll.
The fire broke out during the night of Sept. 4 into early Sept. 5 at the Panacée reception hall in Lingwala, a northern commune of Kinshasa. The hall was on the first floor of a commercial building along Boulevard Triomphal, near the National Museum of the Democratic Republic of Congo and in the area of the Protestant University of Congo. Several people were injured and taken to hospitals across the capital.
Lingwala Mayor Norbert Mushinga initially told the Congolese Press Agency that the provisional death toll was 22 and could rise. The agency reported that injured guests were taken to facilities including Vijana Hospital, the Cinquantenaire Hospital and a hospital at Camp Kokolo. The fire also caused extensive damage inside the building.
The casualty count remained unsettled Saturday. Later in the day, Mushinga referred to about 10 deaths while saying officials still needed to check hospitals for a more complete count. Radio Okapi also reported that Kinshasa’s provincial government cited about 10 deaths in a separate statement, while continuing to acknowledge numerous injuries. The differing figures had not been fully reconciled by Saturday evening.
Witness accounts and local reporting described a chaotic effort to escape as the fire spread. Officials said the layout of the hall appeared to have made evacuation more difficult. Mushinga said early accounts indicated that guests had only one relatively narrow exit available as smoke and panic filled the venue. Some people were unable to leave quickly as the crowd pressed toward the exit.
Local news outlet Actualite.cd reported that videos from the wedding showed flames appearing near the area reserved for the newlyweds before guests rushed toward the exit. The outlet said several deaths were believed to have occurred during the resulting crush. Authorities had not issued a final determination Saturday on how each victim died.
The exact cause of the fire remained under investigation. The Congolese Press Agency said investigators were expected to examine possible problems involving the building’s electrical installation or decorations in the reception hall. Those possibilities remained preliminary and had not been confirmed as the cause of the blaze.
Congo’s deputy prime minister and interior minister, Jacquemin Shabani, visited the site Saturday along with other officials. Kinshasa Vice Gov. Eddy Iyeli Molangi and members of the provincial government also went to the scene as police and investigators began examining the damaged building.
Mushinga said authorities had concerns about safety standards at the venue after inspecting it. He specifically pointed to evacuation arrangements and said officials planned to examine safety conditions at other reception halls in Lingwala and elsewhere in Kinshasa. The provincial government separately announced an investigation into the origin of the fire and the circumstances that contributed to the deaths and injuries.
The newly married couple survived the fire, according to the Lingwala mayor, though he said the bride had been traumatized by what happened. Authorities did not immediately release a complete list of those killed or injured.
One of the victims identified publicly was Guy Kitoko Aloma, a cameraman for Congo’s national broadcaster, Radio-Télévision nationale congolaise. The Congolese Press Agency said the National Union of Cameramen of Congo confirmed his death and described it as a significant loss for his family, colleagues and the country’s media community.
The blaze is the latest deadly fire to strike Kinshasa, a densely populated city where firefighting resources and safety infrastructure can be limited in some areas. The Associated Press reported that serious fires occur regularly in the capital, particularly during the dry season.
Officials continued Saturday to visit hospitals, verify the casualty count and investigate how the fire began. Authorities had not announced a final death toll or a definitive cause, and the difference between the initial figure of 22 deaths and later lower official estimates remained unresolved.