At Least 22 Dead in Fire at Wedding Party in Congo’s Kinshasa

At least 22 people were killed and several others injured after a fire broke out during a wedding gathering in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, officials said Saturday.

The fire erupted on Friday night at a building in Lingwala, northern Kinshasa, where a wedding party was taking place. The blaze continued into the early hours of Saturday, triggering panic among those attending the event and leaving several people struggling to escape through the building’s narrow passageways.

The cramped hallways became heavily congested as people attempted to flee the flames. In the aftermath, victims were carried outside and laid along the roadside, while fellow attendees and others at the scene attempted to provide assistance to those still alive.

Lingwala Mayor Norbert Mushinga told the Congolese Press Agency that the provisional death toll had reached 22. He warned that the number of fatalities could rise further as authorities continued assessing the situation.

The exact cause of the fire remained unconfirmed. Authorities are expected to investigate the circumstances surrounding the blaze and determine how it spread so rapidly through the building.

Congo's Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Jacquemin Shabani visited the site on Saturday morning and described the incident as a tragedy.

The fire has renewed concerns over fire safety in Kinshasa, a densely populated city where rapid and often unplanned urban development has frequently taken place without adequate emergency infrastructure. Limited access to fire services can make it particularly difficult to respond to major blazes in crowded neighbourhoods.

Deadly fires are a recurring problem in Kinshasa, especially during the dry season, when the risk of fires increases. Local media reports indicate that several fires have already occurred across the city this year.

The latest incident has once again highlighted concerns over building safety, emergency preparedness and the need for stronger fire-response infrastructure in the Congolese capital.