At least 26 students killed in fire and stampede at school in eastern DRC

A fire and stampede at a school in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo killed at least 26 children, the UN children’s agency said on Friday, with some pupils leaping from windows on high floors to escape the carnage.

The blaze in the city of Bukavu on Thursday began around 9:00 am while the children were in lessons, forcing some to try to escape by jumping from higher floors, a teacher told AFP.

“In the middle of class, I suddenly…